Controlling Death
by Jezzie Lynn
Summary: Following Captured by Death. Kagome’s found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite? Complete!
1. Chapter 1

**Controlling Death**

Note- This is the next story coming after "Captured by Death." I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the others.

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 1_

It had been three and a half years, and Inuyasha had not made any progress whatsoever in his heated search for Kagome.

All right, that wasn't true. After searching for her for a few months within Tokyo and Kyoto, he had given up his private search. He decided that he needed some help, some reason to go into peoples' houses, some sort of training. And that was why he became a police officer. He had gone back to school to finish out his high school career, and ended up joining the force, training day in and day out. It was rough, and he often danced around the option of quitting, of giving up.

However, Kagome's smiling face, and the thought of her arms around him brought him back to reality, made him realize that Kagome needed him. It was up to him to find her, and he was determined to keep the promise he had made over three years ago.

He knew there was a possibility that she was already dead. This thought plagued him constantly, but he scanned the news four times a day and nothing showed up in it of a dead girl found.

And yet, he could never find anything about a girl being held hostage, either. He followed every case he could, even if he wasn't assigned to it. He would trail along behind other officers, listening to them, asking them, just to see if anything led to that Naraku person who had took his girlfriend.

Yes, he still considered her his girlfriend. They had never split up, technically, and he still loved her.

He could never dig up anything that led him to Naraku, or that sadistic killer Suikotsu. He did a background check on the guys Kagome had mentioned -- locked away in his memory forever -- and found that Naraku was a dangerous half demon who had committed just about every crime in the book. He liked to use his magic skills, and lived for the torture of others.

Then there was Suikotsu and Jakotsu. They were next in line to claim the prize of the worst criminals ever alive. They, too, had committed just about everything there was to do. They had robbed people, murdered countless people, tortured and raped women. They always seemed to slip through the clutches of the police and jail houses.

Then there was Ryura -- the one Inuyasha hated the most. According to the most recent records, he had raped twenty women, and Inuyasha couldn't help but wonder if Kagome had been among those twenty. Inuyasha was certain of one thing: if she was, he'd personally kill Ryura himself.

Then came Jura and Kyora. These two were nut jobs, it was true, but they hadn't done much besides killing and stealing. Kyora was the pyromaniac who loved setting things on fire, as well as people. Jura, however, only like guns. He loved using them on people and probably had an extensive gun collection with him wherever he went.

That Yoshiro guy Kagome had informed him of was pretty clean. He had been convicted of harassing his pregnant girlfriend, and, after doing a little bit of research, Inuyasha found that this girl had been with another man during Yoshiro's trails. It looked like a set up to him, so Inuyasha ruled Yoshiro out as a convict, and added him to the same list Kagome was on, as well as many others -- the victim list.

Inuyasha yawned, blinking rapidly, trying to keep himself from falling asleep as he reviewed his notes and the suspect files piled high in front of him on his desk. This was tiring work, he knew that much, but he was determined to keep going for Kagome's sake.

His phone rang and he answered it. "Takahashi," he said, accustomed to answering with his last name.

"You don't have to be all cop-like around me," Miroku said on the other end. It had been a while since the two had spoken.

"Hey, man," Inuyasha said, leaning back in his rolling chair. He was thankful for the distraction. "How are you?"

"About as good as I can be," he said. "You know…with Sango and all."

Inuyasha smirked. "Is she stressing you out again with those cravings of hers?"

"She wants watermelon and soy sauce!" Miroku exclaimed.

"You're the one who got her pregnant." Inuyasha reminded him. "Just hang tight, man. It'll all be okay. Think about it; you're going to be a dad."

"Yeah," Miroku said, sighing. "You working late again tonight?"

"Sure am." Inuyasha replied tersely.

"Why don't you just quit?" Miroku asked.

"It's a good job," Inuyasha responded. "Why would I?"

"I didn't mean the job." Miroku retorted.

"I'm not going to quit looking for her." Inuyasha said, his voice suddenly hard. He was very sensitive when it came to this subject.

"It's been almost four years," Miroku said, his voice soft and regretful. "Don't you think you're too…I don't know -- attached? Obsessed?"

"Don't you ever wonder what happened to her?" Inuyasha demanded heatedly, ignoring his friend's question. "She disappeared over three years ago, and all you can do is go home and marry Sango and get her pregnant, like nothing ever happened to one of your best friends?"

"Inuyasha," Miroku said firmly, yet calmly. "I think about her every day. I know you do, too. I know how much you loved her, but what happened, happened. I knew I couldn't change it and I knew I couldn't do anything about what happened. I decided to let the police handle it."

"Well, the police don't care about that case. They've got other cases to deal with." Inuyasha argued. "They have me, though, and that's why I have to keep looking. I don't want her mother to grow older and die without her daughter. I don't want to keep living, knowing that she's alive out there somewhere. And I _know _she is alive."

Miroku sighed. "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to get you worked up. I guess I'm just as upset about it as you are. But I think that you should take a break, or something. You've been working late for two months now, and it hasn't done you any good."

"I don't want to take a break." Inuyasha said tersely. "I'm going to get her back."

"Well you don't know where they are, so how are you going to get her back?"

"I know they left the city. They're not here in Tokyo, or back in Kyoto where they used to be." Inuyasha said. "I'm just waiting until I get a lead, a big case somewhere. Then I'll follow it and it should lead me right to her."

Miroku exhaled. "All right. If it's what you want to do, I won't stop you. I'll call you sometime, okay?"

"Yeah, okay."

"I'll tell Bankotsu you said hey and that you're doing all you can." Miroku added.

"Thanks. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

"Bye."

Inuyasha hung up the phone. Poor Bankotsu. He had lost his brothers and his favorite cousin and hadn't seen them in over three years. He was lonely, and worried, and very vengeful, that was true. He was also training to become a police officer, only he was in Kyoto, where Kagome and the others had last been. He knew that if a major case came along in a different city, then he would be the one to go from his force team while Inuyasha would go from his.

He looked down at the only picture he had of Kagome. She was wearing a summer dress with her hair pulled back. It was the picture he always looked at when he was stressed, or felt all hope was lost. Her smile encouraged and strengthened him. It kept him going.

"It's only a matter of time, Kagome. I'll find you. We'll be together again." He whispered.

-----

Kagome was sprawled across her large bed, breathing deeply. Her lungs burned painfully and she was surprised that she had held out through her training for that long.

Three and a half years had passed. It had been three and a half years today that Naraku had recruited her and made her one of their own. It had been the day that her life had changed drastically.

She, herself, had changed a great deal. Her hair had grown longer, now reaching the belt of her pants, but she always wore it up in a pony tail to keep it out of her eyes. She ran her slim fingers over her stomach and she could feel the toned muscles that covered her body. She wasn't buff by any means. She was just toned from her many workouts during the day.

Naraku had taken to training her himself, teaching her how to master her priestess powers. The other physical stuff she did on her own.

Her breathing slowing down, she got onto the floor and began doing push ups. She completed ninety each day, as well as a hundred sit ups and pull ups.

_Fifty two, fifty three, fifty four…_

"Kagome," Ryura said, entering her room. "You hungry?" He examined her doing push ups, her gray sports bra darkening with sweat, her jeans hugging her legs, her muscles straining.

_Fifty five, fifty six, fifty seven…_

"Yeah," she said, her voice strained with the effort of lifting herself over and over. "You know what to get me."

He nodded. "Sure do."

_Fifty eight, fifty nine, sixty…_

"We'll be back later with food. Don't work yourself to hard." He said.

Kagome began doing push ups with one hand, turning to look at him with a smirk on her face. "I won't."

He smiled back at her and left the room.

_Sixty one, sixty two, sixty three, sixty four…_

Kagome and Ryura had grown somewhat closer. He treated her differently now that she was one of them, and she could joke with him. Of course, they had never done anything, and he never tried to do that. It was probably due to the fact that she was training daily with Naraku and he was afraid. Either way, he always took up for her against Suikotsu and Jakotsu.

_Sixty five, sixty six, sixty seven, sixty eight…_

Her blood boiled whenever she thought about Suikotsu or Jakotsu. She still felt deep hatred toward them. She knew that they despised them as much as she loathed them. Jakotsu hated her because of her gender while Suikotsu hated her for who she was. She was his cousin. She was supposed to fear him, succumb to him like she used to. He hated her because she had changed, because she was moving up in the ranks of murder. She was becoming quite the killer…just like he used to say.

_Sixty nine, seventy, seventy one, seventy two, seventy three…_

Of course, he still bore his hatred toward Naraku. He still thought that he had told her of Anaya. He also didn't like Naraku because he was the one responsible for Kagome's transformation. He was being replaced as Naraku's right hand man by Kagome, his own cousin, a woman.

_Seventy four, seventy five, seventy six, seventy seven, seventy eight…_

Yoshiro was still the same kind guy he had been. She was still fond of the guy, even though his kindness made him weak. He looked after her and she could talk to him easily.

Jura and Kyora were still the same. She thought they were funny, especially when Jura ended up getting into some sort of stupid argument with Ryura. She felt right at home with these guys, in this old warehouse in Osaka.

_Seventy nine, eighty, eighty one, eighty two, eighty three…_

She never felt the impulse to kill…except for when Suikotsu or Jakotsu was getting on her nerves. Then she was tempted top pull that Beretta given to her over three years ago out of its holster on her thigh and shoot them dead. She relished that thought at night when she went into her room, seething with anger at them.

Even Naraku angered her sometimes. Whenever she messed up during her training with him, he'd curse her, and tell her that she was weak. It angered her to the point when she also wanted to shoot him, as well.

_Eighty four, eighty five, eighty six, eighty seven, eighty eight, eighty nine, ninety…_

Panting, she rose to her feet and walked out of her room. She walked outside to the back of the warehouse to get some fresh air. Only Yoshiro, Naraku, Kyora, and Jura remained behind while the others went to get food. They, however, were in a different room, where they had placed their big screen television, no doubt watching some action movie.

She sat down and sighed. She liked this life. She had food, money, and shelter. She had friends and had fun. Everything seemed perfect…

So why did her heart feel so empty sometimes?

* * *

Note- There's the first chapter. How was it? Did you like it? I hope so. Please review! Thanks! 


	2. Chapter 2

**Controlling Death**

Note- This is the next story coming after "Captured by Death." I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the others.

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 2_

Kagome wiped the sweat obscuring her brow and breathed deeply, trying to catch her breath. She stretched her arms, and rotated her shoulders to work the stiffness out of them before jumping up and taking hold of the sleek metal bar above her head. It felt good and cold against her wet palms. She began pulling herself up and down repeatedly, keeping close count on how many pull ups she completed.

She was glaring at the ceiling in concentration when Suikotsu approached her. Her flaming eyes fell from the ceiling to him, burning with hatred and annoyance.

"How well can you focus?" He asked.

She continued with her strenuous work out and only regarded him with a questioningly raised eyebrow.

"How long can you keep concentrating with a hindrance to your work?" He asked, being more specific this time.

"I suppose," she said, panting, still pulling her self up above the bar, only to drop back down, "that _you're _supposed to be the hindrance?"

"If I am?"

"You're not doing a very good job." She spat.

Deterred, Suikotsu stomped off to parts of the warehouse unknown.

Kagome smirked and continued with her pull ups, her newfound muscles straining with the effort of pulling her entire body weight up and down. She completed forty when someone snaked their arms around her and began tickling her. Laughing, she released the bar, falling onto her feet on the cement.

She stood up and whirled around to find Ryura. "Thanks," she mumbled with a smile.

"Anytime." Came his response.

"You're a better distraction than Suikotsu. He tried to take my focus away from working out just a few minutes ago." Kagome said.

Ryura smirked. "I deserve a medal then, don't I?"

Kagome laughed and nodded.

"Look at those muscles," Ryura said, gently taking hold of her upper arms and squeezing. He whistled, long and low. "And you're not even flexing."

"Yep. I'll kick your ass." She said.

It grew awkwardly quiet and Kagome stared into Ryura's eyes, unable to draw her gaze away from their beauty. His crimson eyes were different from Naraku's blood red ones. Ryura's could actually hold compassion for another, while Naraku's only held death, murder, blood, unkindness. Ryura had been nicer toward her for the past three and a half years. Naraku had been tough on her, yet tried to be tender afterwards. She knew they both felt something for her -- it was more than 'comradeship' -- and she wasn't sure how to respond to the attention.

Not only did these two feel deeply for her, but she sensed that Yoshiro did, as well. She wasn't particularly fond of Naraku, but she was very doting when it came to Ryura and Yoshiro. She had grown accustomed to having them by her side; come to her defense against Suikotsu or Jakotsu. She was extremely fond of them, and wouldn't know how to last with the group if the two of them were to die or suddenly disappear from her life.

Speaking of disappearing…it sometimes felt as if there were a pit in her stomach, in her chest, in her life. It were almost as if she had been missing something the whole time, as if her former life had disappeared. What _had _her former life been? She couldn't remember anything other than the last three and a half years. What about before then? All she knew was that she was a member of Naraku's crime gang and that she was his right hand man…er, woman.

And both Jakotsu and Suikotsu despised her for it.

Now, as she stared into Ryura's eyes, she felt all of the hatred and animosity slip away from her and was encased in his gaze, his affection for her. She could feel the attachment in her growing stronger as they continued to gaze into one another's eyes. She realized that their faces were growing nearer and nearer, and her heart jumped up into her throat. She knew what was coming…and sis didn't intend to try and impede it.

"Kagome!" Naraku's voice broke through their blissful reveries and caused them both to flinch in surprise, startled by his deep voice.

She turned toward him, and noticed a heated glower on his face. His gaze was directed at Ryura. "Yes?"

"We need to speak." He glared at Ryura. "_Alone._"

Kagome winced at the malice in his voice, feeling the hatred leak from it like blood dripping from a dying corpse. She cast a fleeting sorrowful and sympathetic glance at Ryura, whose eyes replied.

_It's all right. Be careful around him._

She smiled, aimed to be a reassuring smile, and followed Naraku into his room. Once inside, she was instructed to close the door behind her. Once done, she turned toward him expectantly, a bit apprehensive, and waited. For what? Everything. Anything. To be told that they were moving to another city, or to be informed of the latest news report of the strange, unidentified thieves of convenience stores. She even expected to be yelled at, reprimanded, for romancing with the group's one and only rapist.

However, all he asked was, "Are you prepared to strike a bank?"

This took her off guard momentarily. "Rob a bank?" She echoed.

"Yes." He said, pacing from her over to a window on the far side of the large, unfriendly looking room. "You've been staying behind, training for the past three years. I think you're ready."

"Rob a bank?" She repeated, sounding almost like an owl or parrot. "Are you _sure _you want to go to that extreme?"

"I admit -- it _is _a bit extreme. However, I'm sure we can accomplish it." He approached her. "Especially with you. You can handle all the security guards easily, with both your priestess and physical strength."

His breath was hot against her face and neck as his words resonated through her head, over and over. His offer was tempting…but she thought it was a bit extreme for her first time in the field. "Naraku…" she whispered cautiously, almost afraid to speak out of fear of the consequences of her answer. Out of the entire group, she feared Naraku the most. "It's _too _extreme." She insisted.

"Is it?"

"Yes," she said firmly.

"I don't think it is." Came his response.

"I do. It _is _too hard," she protested. "Think about it -- it's my first time out there, doing what you guys have been doing for years. How about we work our way up and give me time to get used to the feeling?"

He eyed her.

"What if I get some sort of adrenaline rush and kill innocent people and can't stop?" She asked, giving an example as a form of visionary. "Or what if I chicken out?"

He chuckled and placed a hand on her right shoulder. It was heavy to her. "You'd more then likely have an adrenaline rush before you cower away with your tail between your legs like a dog."

Kagome perked up, showing instant interest at the 'dog' remark. Naraku took notice of this. "What is it?"

"Huh?" She asked. "Oh, nothing."

He continued to let his gaze linger on her face for a while before turning away. "Fine. I will comply with your request. We'll wait and work our way up."

"Thanks," she said before walking out of his room. Ryura was outside.

"You okay?" He asked. He examined her. "You look tired."

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just going to take a nap." She said, forcing a meek smile. After he nodded in consent and told her he'd get her dinner later, she left him.

'What is with me?' She asked herself. 'What is it about the word 'dog' or 'hanyou' that gets me so…interested or worked up?'

Sighing, she collapsed onto her bed and closed her eyes. Sleep took over instantaneously.

* * *

Note- there! Sorry it was short, and otherwise uneventful. Hopefully there will be much more hot action heading your way. Once again, thanks a whole lot for reading. I appreciate it. I love you guys.

-Demonic Miko


	3. Chapter 3

**Controlling Death**

Note- This is the next story coming after "Captured by Death." I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the others.

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 3_

* * *

Inuyasha kicked his feet up, propping them up onto his desk, and pushing himself backward so that he was reclining in his chair. He yawned and glanced at his watch. One ten a.m. He had been at work since eight p.m. He had been reading over various files of criminals, often re-reviewing them numerous times, and still hadn't come across anything suspicious.

"Hey, Takahashi," someone called from across the row of cubicles.

Inuyasha turned.

"Why are you still here?" Detective Makato asked. "Shouldn't you have cleared out at ten?"

"Not me," Inuyasha growled at the rookie cop. "I'm always here late."

Detective Makato had no knowledge of Inuyasha like some of the other Detectives did. Which is why he asked, "Why? What's the point?"

"Just…trying to find someone." Inuyasha said, not sure if he should explain to the youngster or not.

"Ah, I get it!" Makato exclaimed. "You have one certain criminal you're after and you're trying to find him. What'd he do to ya? Kill someone you love? Or did he hurt you?"

Inuyasha smirked and rolled his eyes, the gestures hidden by his hair. "Personal issues with someone I love," he replied. "That's why I'm going to get him, and kill him."

-----

Kagome was leaning against the warehouse wall on the backside of the place, taking in the fresh air. She had been thinking about the plan to get her prepared for robbing the bank, and how she was to 'work her way up' in the ranks.

She had already robbed six convenience stores, three major stores, four hardware places, and, strangely, a candy store for her comrades' strong sweet tooth.

And she still felt she wasn't ready.

Naraku had informed the entire group of his plan to rob the local bank in two days. When questioned about the police, he replied, "We will stay here -- not leave the city. They will be expecting us to do so and will set up road blocks in order to prevent us from leaving the city. So, we will stay here and when everything has calmed down, we just might leave and go somewhere else."

Kagome exhaled gustily. She only had a day and a half to prepare herself for this. She wasn't worried about actually robbing the place. She was good at it. However, she was worried about two things: Killing innocent civilians and getting caught by the police.

She could deal with people dying. People died every day, and she had killed her share of them, as well. It wasn't such a big deal if people were accidentally shot down.

However, if she or her comrades were captured by the police, she wasn't sure what would happen.

"Hey," someone said, snapping her out of her reverie.

Kagome whipped her head around to find Yoshiro. "Hey," she said, relaxing.

"You all right?" He questioned. He knew how nervous she was about the impending robbery.

"Fine," she said. "Just thinking about all that could happen."

"Well, that's what gets you nervous. Just think about all the good things. You know, be optimistic." He smiled at her. "Just think of the cash you'll get."

Kagome knew that this wasn't a normal perspective for Yoshiro. He was usually quiet and humble. However, he was only doing to make her feel better, and to help Naraku out with his planned robbery so all would go well. "Yoshiro," she said with a small smile. "This isn't like you."

"I know…but--" He was cut off.

"But thanks for the advice." She interrupted, turning and looking at him.

He smiled back at her.

"How do you think it's going to go?" She asked.

"To be honest," he said, pausing for a few moments to think. "I think that it'll go fine…with _you_ there."

Kagome gave him a playful shove. "Oh, stop it. You're only saying that."

"No, I'm not," he said, chuckling. "I mean it -- you've come a long way. I think that this group could really use you."

Kagome grinned. "Thanks." She fiddled with the knife in the sheath on her right hip. "Who is coming?"

"You, Naraku, Suikotsu, Jakotsu, Jura, and Kyora." He said.

Kagome brought her eyes back up to meet his, surprised and concerned. "You mean Ryura isn't coming?" She asked, her face solemn.

Yoshiro shook his head slowly. When he spoke, his voice was even. "He and I will stay here."

"But _why_ isn't he coming?" Kagome wanted to know.

"Naraku told me not to discuss this with you," he said, looking over his shoulder apprehensively. "But he doesn't like how 'friendly' you two have become. He thinks it's distracting."

"It's even more distracting to _not _have him there," she argued. "I _need _him there. I'm _used_ to having him there with me if I needed help. The others won't help me. They'd shoot me faster than they'd help me!"

"Shh!" Yoshiro commanded. "I know that this is enraging, but you're going to have to deal with it, not take it out on me." He took notice of Kagome's heated glare roaming around toward the door leading back into the warehouse that was slightly ajar. "And don't take it out on anyone else, either," he warned.

"I won't," she assured him.

He gave her a firm, pointed look.

"I _won't_!" She said, a smile appearing across her features.

He chuckled and gave her a playful, affectionate punch in her upper left arm. "Take it easy, Nerves," he said, using the nickname he had given her. It meant 'Nerves of Steel,' which everyone knew she had. "Just relax for the next two days, and then we'll see what happens. Either way, You'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," Kagome said, watching as Yoshiro returned to the interior of the warehouse. She brought her gaze up to the skies as a light wind tugged at her hair. "I hope you're right…"

-----

Inuyasha rung the door bell. He waited for a moment, counted to three, and sure enough, Miroku opened the door. "Hey, man," he said. "Just in time."

"I'm gettin' better," Inuyasha commented as he stepped into Sango and Miroku's large home. He had been invited earlier that day to join them and a few of their friends from high school for a party, which had, luckily, extended well into the night. "How's things?"

"Good," Miroku said, closing and locking the door behind him.

"Brought the handcuffs just in case," Inuyasha said in a joking tone, holding up the metals circles for visualization. "Never know when you'll need 'em."

"True, true," Miroku agreed, leading Inuyasha down a hallway toward the living room. "But I know when you _do _need them."

"You pervert." Inuyasha said. However, he was smiling.

"Inuyasha!" Sango exclaimed, emerging from a doorway to the left, which led to the kitchen.

"You look…good." Inuyasha said, awkwardly, as he noticed her protruding belly.

Sango eyed him warily for a moment before sighing and letting out a spurt of laughter. "Is that so? Then tell me, Inuyasha -- why are you looking at me that way?"

Sweat obscured his brow. He knew that Sango was quite formidable. However, now that she was pregnant, and dealing with the hormones, he wasn't sure he could handle whatever she had to throw at him.

He was relieved when she began laughing. "It's all right," she said, smiling brightly and placing a hand against his arm. "I know I don't look all that great. Come on. Let's go have some fun. We have wine!"

"Of course, you can't have any," Miroku informed her sternly.

"I know that." Sango said defensively. "I know what to do."

Miroku beamed. "Good girl."

Inuyasha just rolled his amber eyes and shook his head before following his friends into the living room. That's where he saw Shiori, Hiten's ex girlfriend, and Hiten's brother, Manten. He felt a stab of pity hit him full in the chest. He knew how they felt -- he, too, had lost someone he loved.

He then took notice of someone almost his mirror image to his left and turned. Sesshomaru was there, leaning against the wall. His brother, whom he hadn't seen in three years, looked up at him with the same amber eyes they shared.

"Hey," Inuyasha managed to get out. "How you doin'?"

Sesshomaru nodded, a slight smile on his face. "Fine. And you?"

"Good." Inuyasha took a moment to examine his demon brother. He had been hurt pretty badly by those sick bastards Suikotsu and Jakotsu. Now, however, you wouldn't even be able to tell.

"Inuyasha," a delicate voice called.

The mentioned hanyou turned and saw Shiori standing there. She only came up to his chin, and peered up at him with large, violet eyes, making her look more innocent. "Yeah?"

She suddenly embraced him. "I'm so sorry," she murmured. "About Kagome, I mean."

He hesitated a moment before returning the hug. "It's all right." He could feel all of her emotions -- sadness, fear, and loneliness -- all in that one, simple embrace. "I'm the one who's sorry for your loss," he said, pulling away from her. "I know it was hard then. And that it's hard now. But I'm going to get them." When her gave wavered and fell from his, he grasped her chin in his fingers, gently, and pulled her up to look him dead in the eyes. "I promise. I'll capture his killers. And I'll bring Kagome back. Everything will be better."

He felt his heart lurch as her eyes filled with tears, and she embraced him once more. "Thank you," she whispered.

"Inuyasha! Shiori! Sesshomaru!" Miroku called, drawing attention to himself. "This is a party, not a mushy get together! Let's have some fun!"

Inuyasha smiled as Shiori pulled herself away from him. He could do that, right? He was capable of having fun. Plus, he had long earned it.

Miroku was right; he needed a break.

-----

Kagome was lying on her bed, her eyes closed, resting. She wasn't exactly tired, but she felt drained. She couldn't sleep due to the many thoughts racing through her mind, so she simply settled for lying awake, letting her mind wander aimlessly.

She thought of her hatred toward Suikotsu and Jakotsu. She thought about her fondness of Yoshiro and Ryura, and how she and Jura and Kyora were pretty good friends. She thought of how Naraku had made plans to rob a bank within the next day or so, and how stressed she was about it.

That's when she felt it: arms snaking around her waist. She had been so occupied with her thoughts, she hadn't even sensed anyone in the room with her. She hadn't been aware of the presence behind her as someone laid upon her bed behind her, wrapping their arms around her waist.

When she moved slightly, the person behind her said, "No, stay where you are. It's all right."

She felt her heart stop momentarily when she recognized the voice.

Naraku.

"Naraku…" She said, unsure of what to utter next.

"Shh," he said, his voice soft. "Just relax."

Kagome felt chills up her spine at his touch, as his body pressed harder against hers. She was confused and unsure of what to say or which action to take.

She gasped when he placed a clawed hand on the toned muscles of her stomach.

'What is he doing?' She thought, feeling his hand make tiny circles on her skin. 'What should I do?'

He then brought his mouth to her neck, sending cold chills dancing up and down her spine. "Nar--"

"Shh," he exhorted. "It's all right."

She felt his hand slip beneath the fabric of her shirt and she felt panicked. Her body loved it, begged for more, was lusting. Her body was hungry for his touch, yearning for his body on top of hers. On the other hand, her mind was screaming for him to stop, to back away, as the claustrophobia set in.

He suddenly took her by the shoulder and whirled her onto her back and climbed on to of her, straddling her. She felt her heart leaping up into her throat, pounding against her neck, as if trying to escape.

He kissed the place where her heart pulsed roughly, sliding both hands up into her shirt to explore and dance across her skin, igniting fire in their wake. She closed her eyes, willing everything away, while her body took pleasure in it.

He suddenly took hold of her jeans and unfastened them, slamming his lips against hers simultaneously.

She cried out into his mouth, placing her palms against his chest, and shoving hard. He fell back off the bed, away from her. After she fastened her pants, she felt as if she could breathe easier. The claustrophobia died away slower than it had formed around her.

"What are you doing?" He asked, clearly shocked at her actions, astonished that she didn't share his feelings.

"I think the question is, what are _you _doing?" She demanded, sitting up and sliding away from him. "I'm sorry, Naraku. But how ever you feel about me -- the feeling isn't mutual."

He stared at her intently for a long time with his evil crimson eyes. Then, at length, he finally said, "It's all Ryura's fault." He then rose to his feet.

"Where are you going?" She demanded. She wasn't finished with him yet. Oh, no.

"To do something I should've done something a long time ago." He said.

If his words hadn't been an indication of his malicious plans, the fact that he pulled his Colt 45 from a holster on a nearby table outside her room was.

She felt her heart lurch as she realized what he was going to do. She jumped up, yanked her Beretta from her holster, and left her room. "Naraku, no." She said firmly, hiding her gun behind her.

He ignored her command and continued on toward Ryura's room.

She glared daggers at his back. He had spent three years making her one of his most elite allies. It only took ten minutes to make him her worst enemy.

"Ryura!" Naraku yelled.

Kagome knew that, as faithful as Ryura was, he'd be emerging from his room any second.

She lifted her gun.

Ryura came into the room.

Naraku lifted his gun.

Two shots echoed. Kagome's heart stopped. Ryura's face twisted in shock, then pain. Kagome felt the hatred seep through her. She had hit Naraku all right. Dead shot to the side. Naraku hadn't missed Ryura, though. Thankfully, it was only a minor wound. The bullet had merely grazed Ryura's left shoulder.

Kagome didn't bother going to check on him. Yoshiro was already ahead of her. Instead, she stepped up to Naraku, who was coughing and bleeding on the floor.

"You bastard," she hissed through gritted teeth. "If you had only listened, this wouldn't have happened."

He looked up at her with pained indignant eyes. "I told you that it was Ryura's fault." He lifted the gun and aims it at her head. For a brief moment, she felt scared. However, she knew he wouldn't do it. Her hunch proved correct when he brought it down to aim at Yoshiro. "And that bastard didn't help, either." He choked out.

Kagome put a bullet in his skull before he could so much as place a finger on the trigger.

When she turned around to face Ryura, he was on his feet. He hugged her, obviously grateful for her intrusion.

"Where are the others?" Kagome inquired.

"Out somewhere," Yoshiro replied.

"They'll be pissed when they get back," Kagome muttered.

"We've got your back, Nerves." Yoshiro assured her.

"Yep. Sure do." Ryura said.

"Thanks," she said. She looked down at Naraku's corpse. "Don't bother with it. Let Suikotsu and the others find it when they come back." She smiled…a smile that resembled Naraku's.

* * *

Note- Hope you enjoyed. I thought it was a cool chapter, since the tide turned. I hope you did, too.

-Demonic Miko


	4. Chapter 4

**Controlling Death**

Note- This is the next story coming after "Captured by Death." I hope you guys will enjoy this as much as you enjoyed the others.

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 4_

Kagome had tended to Ryura's injury on his shoulder, gently stitching it together before covering it with a bandage. After making sure he was all right, she had stripped Naraku's corpse of its Colt 45, reloaded it, as well as her own weapon, and holstered them for herself. She had a feeling she might need them again.

"Where did they go?" She demanded a while later as she, Ryura, and Yoshiro sat in the entertainment room, watching "_The Covenant_" on the big screen television.

"I'm not sure," Yoshiro replied honestly. "Probably to get something to eat or just to…"

"Kill people." Kagome finished, turning back to the television.

"Yeah." Yoshiro said.

Kagome sighed. Sure, she had killed her share of innocent people, but she did it in the middle of committing a crime. And even then, she rarely did so. That was why she frowned upon random and useless killings.

That was another reason why she despised Suikotsu and Jakotsu.

Once the movie was over, the three headed to bed. Kagome knew she'd need the sleep, especially for what was surely to come.

However, as she sat awake for a while, she began thinking about her actions. 'I feel so weird…' she thought as she cut the light off and climbed into her bed. 'I feel more in control. But it seems like a part of me doesn't want any control, or any part of this group.'

She brushed it off and went to sleep.

---

"You sure you want to go home, man?" Miroku asked as Inuyasha stepped out into the cool night air.

"Yeah, I'm sure." The waning glow of the moon was shining on Inuyasha's silver hair. "Great party, by the way."

"That's why I'm so confused," Miroku replied. He had had a little too much alcohol. He wasn't really drunk, though. "If it's such a great party, then why are you leaving so early?"

"Miroku," Inuyasha said with a small smirk and a raised eyebrow. "It's three thirty. In the morning. I've been here for about two hours."

"So?" Miroku was leaning against the open door. "Stick around a while longer."

"I'll pass," Inuyasha said. "I'm gonna go home and get some sleep."

"Why? So you can stay at work late _again_?" Miroku frowned. "I hate to say it, man, but I think you're fighting for a lost cause."

Inuyasha felt the irritation and anger bubbling within him, but he held it in. It wouldn't do any good whatsoever to explode right here in Miroku's front yard. "It's not a lost cause," he growled. "I just hit a dead end."

"I don't think you're going to find her, man." Miroku said honestly.

Inuyasha didn't get upset at this. Everyone who knew about Kagome always said it at one point or another, and always held firm to that belief. They never told him that they supposed that he would find her, or something about her. They never said things like "you'll find her, I just know it" or "I have a feeling that she's still alive, and that you're going to save her." After over two years of hearing the same things, over and over, he had become well accustomed to it.

"Well," Inuyasha said, exhaling a large gust of air. "we'll just have to see, now, won't we?"

With that said, he turned and walked to his car, climbed in, and drove away.

When he arrived at his home and parked his car in the driveway, he looked up at the starry night sky. A tiny star shot across the sky and vanished. "I wish that I could find Kagome," he said softly.

Another star shot across the sky. He smiled at his luck. "I wish for Kagome's safety."

He then turned and went inside.

---

Kagome was awoken when she was jerked out of her bed violently. She felt someone's hot breath on her face, and struggled to remember her surroundings. "What happened to him?" A male voice demanded hotly.

'What happened to who?' She thought, fighting to remember what had happened before she had lain down to sleep.

That's when she was roughly tossed to the hard cement floor, her head colliding with it. A foot then connected with her rib cage. "I asked you a question!" The voice raged.

As if a ton of bricks fell on top of her, Kagome realized what was going on. She remembered putting a bullet in Naraku's skull, and then going to bed. Suikotsu and Jakotsu must have just returned from their night on the town and saw their leader's corpse in the middle of the warehouse floor.

She pushed herself up to her hands and knees. "I killed him," she spat, taking in a deep lungful of air.

When Suikotsu -- or was it Jakotsu? -- went to kick her once more, she easily evaded it by doing a front summersault. She landed across the room on her feet in a battle stance, daring either man to attack her.

Now fully awake, she took in her environs. Jakotsu and Suikotsu were directly in front of her, while Jura and Kyora were in the doorway. Apparently, they hadn't thought to wake Ryura or Yoshiro up.

"Why did you kill him?" Suikotsu demanded vehemently, his face sporting a livid expression.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked, the disdain for him unmistakably noticeable.

"Damn it!" He cursed. "Why can't you just give me a straight answer?"

"It's because she's a woman," Jakotsu offered. He received heated looks from both Kagome and Suikotsu.

"Fine," Kagome said, rising to her feet steadily, cautiously. "He came on to me earlier. When I didn't let him do what he desired, he decided to kill Ryura. So I prevented him from doing so."

"You shot him twice," Suikotsu said, managing to keep his angry tone even and reserved. "I think that's a little too much to keep him from killing someone."

"The first time I shot him apparently didn't get the message across," Kagome growled. "After that, he tried to kill Yoshiro. So I kept him from doing it."

"I don't think you should have. He's worthless." Suikotsu muttered low beneath his breath.

Kagome still heard his words, and it infuriated her. She felt the hatred down to her bones, and she couldn't take looking at him anymore. His personality, his opinions, his voice, his face -- it all made her sick to her stomach.

She dived at him so suddenly that it caught everyone off guard. She collided with his stomach and they went reeling into a cabinet, knocking the heavy wooden piece of furniture over onto the hard floor. Kagome was ferociously punching away at the man underneath her, using all of her anger and hatred as fuel to keep her fists flying.

She felt three pairs of hands grabbing at her, plucking at her clothes, tugging on her waist and shoulder, desperately trying to remove her from Suikotsu. The three other men that had been in the room with her were trying to prevent her from beating Suikotsu to death -- something she had every intention on doing.

She heard then screaming at her to stop, to leave him alone, but she ignored their pleas.

That's when one of them -- if she were to hazard a guess, she'd say Jakotsu -- got in a cheap shot with the handle of a gun to the back of her neck.

For a brief moment, things grew dark. Then they came back into focus with gray around the edges. Feeling the irritation overwhelm her, she whirled around and lashed out at whoever stood nearby. She caught Jakotsu with a hard left hook to the jaw and he went flying onto the ground. She then refocused on Suikotsu, who had clambered up to his feet.

He caught her with a hard right, then two powerful lefts, and she felt everything spin momentarily. Just as she was about to return the blows, Kyora gave her a hard slap. When she looked at him, somewhat in disbelief, he shrugged slightly. She could tell that he hadn't wanted to do it, but he had anyway.

Jakotsu then came up behind her and kicked her hard in the back. He shoved her down to the floor and gave several rough kicks to her stomach and ribs.

When she felt another foot come down upon her, she knew that it was Suikotsu and Jakotsu, beating her down, desperately wanting to kill her.

"So what if I killed him?" She screamed, the words coming out roughly due to the many kicks she was receiving. "It's not like you'd care, anyway! I mean, you hated him! You hated him for what he made you do to Anaya!"

She knew that that had hit home base. It felt as if it had been forever since they had mentioned anything regarding Anaya. She could still remember the story -- Anaya had been a very close friend of Suikotsu and when Naraku found out about her, he brought her to their hideout. After a while, he finally ordered Suikotsu to kill her. He did so, and Kagome figured that that had diminished whatever sanity he had had left.

Suikotsu jerked Kagome up roughly by her shirtfront and snarled in her face, "Shut up about Anaya."

"Why?" Kagome demanded smugly, a slow grin forming across her features. "Why do you want me to stop talking about her? It is because you know that _you're_ the one responsible for her death? That _you _killed her? That it was _all your fault_?"

She knew what was coming.

Suikotsu drew his hand back and slammed it, hard, into her nose. He released her and she fell to the floor, blood spurting from the fresh wound.

All she could do was laugh.

"Why are you laughing?" Suikotsu shrieked, kicking her in the ribs.

She heard a crack, but it didn't bother her all that much. "If there's one thing Naraku did right -- it was teaching me this." She began to emanate a pale blue light. "He taught me how to master my priestess powers. I think that _that _was the only good thing to come of his existence."

She rose to her feet quickly, ignoring her cracked rib, and gave Suikotsu a glare that could kill. Her eyes then suddenly flashed brighter than her entire being and she reached forward, seizing him by his clothing. That's when she let him have it -- energy coursed through her right into his body, almost like an electric shock.

He screamed in agony as she continued to bombard him with the tremors of pain and power. Whenever Jakotsu attempted to get her to cease, she blasted him back with a wave of energy.

She took notice of Ryura and Yoshiro standing in the doorway, looks of pure alarm and astonishment on their pale faces.

Finally, at length, she released her deadly grip on Suikotsu, who fell to the floor, unconscious. She soon stopped glowing and just stood in place. She was panting, struggling to catch her breath. After she had done so, she smirked down at Suikotsu's unmoving body. "There's a new 'leader' around here, cousin," she said as a wave of blue light passed through her eyes, only to vanish as quickly as it had appeared. "And it's me."

With that, she walked out of the room, Ryura and Yoshiro behind her.

"Whoa," Ryura commented. "I didn't expect any of that to happen."

"Yeah, well," she said slowly. "I'm full of surprises."

"Aren't you hurt?" Yoshiro asked, his voice full of disbelief.

As if the question had reminded her, Kagome grunted and fell to one knee. She was clutching her side and gritting her teeth.

"Why'd you have to ask?" Ryura wanted to know, dropping down next to Kagome. "You okay?"

"Just a cracked rib and bloody nose," she said, smiling. "It'll heal."

"You know what they say," Ryura said, helping her up and taking her to a different room to clean her up, "what doesn't kill ya, makes ya stronger."

* * *

Note- there you have it! I enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope you enjoyed reading it. Thanks for reading and please review! 


	5. Chapter 5

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 5_

Kagome grunted as she rolled over on her bed. She had been sleeping peacefully at one point, but something had just roused her from her slumber. She sat up, fully aware that her injuries had completely healed in the period of a few hours. She lifted her shirt and removed the bandage that covered her ribs. There was only a light purplish mark from where she had been hit in the ribs. She smirked. Her priestess powers helped her heal quicker than she had anticipated they would.

She rose to her feet and went into the adjoining bathroom and looked at her reflection. No cuts or bruises.

"Thanks Naraku," she muttered, the disdain evident in her voice for the now deceased man. "You taught me well."

She ran a brush carelessly through her long raven hair and sighed. 'What woke me up?' She wondered.

At that moment, she heard stentorian and acrimonious yelling outside her bedroom door. "What the hell were you thinking, Ryura? Why did you _let _her kill Naraku?"

"It was either him or me!" She heard Ryura retort. "And I wasn't _about _to keep Kagome from preventing him from killing me!"

"Well, what about Suikotsu last night?" Jakotsu demanded. "He's still in his bed unconscious as we speak! Why didn't you try to stop her?"

"Probably because of the same reason you didn't!" Ryura cried. "You're scared of her. Besides, I didn't like how Suikotsu's attitude was getting."

"One, I'm not afraid of that bitch in there. Two, Suikotsu was only angry last night because the one who was in charge was killed. He was just taking his place as leader." She heard Jakotsu snarl angrily.

"Well, to be honest, we shouldn't _have _to have a leader, but…" Ryura trailed off. "We do; and it's not Suikotsu. It's Kagome."

"To hell it is!" Jakotsu screamed angrily.

That's when Kagome heard scuffling and she rushed out of her room to where they were in the main room. They were rolling around on the floor, clutching handfuls of one another's clothes, swinging their fists and legs. "Enough!" She screamed, reaching down a seizing Jakotsu by the back of his shirt and jerking him up to his feet. He looked surprised but it quickly faded and he stood back away from her, glaring daggers at her.

"Jakotsu -- Ryura's right. I showed Suikotsu last night who was boss around here. And in case you didn't get the message; it's me." Kagome said firmly, never taking her eyes off Jakotsu's.

"Told ya." Ryura muttered, wiping his lip and glaring at Jakotsu.

"Just wait until Suikotsu wakes up," Jakotsu warned. "you'll have to tell it to him."

"Oh, believe me, I will. Only this time, I _will _get the message across -- one way or another." Kagome hissed. She watched as Jakotsu growled in anger, whirled around, and marched away. When he was gone from view, Ryura gave Kagome a gentle slap on the back.

"Well done!" He yelled. "That was enough to shut him up. It's about time someone took control of things around here."

Kagome only smiled slightly. "Where are the others?"

"Jakotsu just went in there with an unconscious Suikotsu," -- he smirked at her and elbowed her -- "Yoshiro is in his room, and Jura and Kyora are…uh…"

Kagome eyed him. "I don't like the sound of that," she said. "Where'd they go?"

"I don't know," he said tersely.

She suddenly seized him by his shirtfront. "Ryura!" She shouted. She was not in the mood to fool around. "Don't lie to me. I know that you know where they are. Now spill."

"All right, all right!" he yelled, pulling out of her grasp and straightening the front of his shirt. He took a step back away from her. "Jeez, don't get mean just because you have all the power, young lady."

Kagome only glared at him.

"Where'd your sense of humor go?" Ryura asked, shrugging. He then sighed. "Fine. They said they were going out to have a little fun."

"Fun?" Kagome asked, quirking an eyebrow. "Everyone in this warehouse seems to have a different definition of fun than the cops do. What were they planning on doing to have a 'little fun'? I know the definition to both of those words aren't exactly accurate in _their_ dictionary."

"I don't know," he said. When he noticed the pointed, disbelieving look she was giving him, he said, "I swear! I don't know!"

Kagome sighed in frustration. "There's a shift in power around this place and all anybody can think about is either killing _one another_ or _other people_," she said warily. "I just woke up, too."

"Come on," Ryura said suddenly, turning and walking away.

"What?"

"I've got the perfect treat," he replied, exiting the warehouse and going to the back and climbing in the SUV parked there. It was one of two vehicles they owned -- stolen, of course. She reluctantly followed and got into the car.

"Ryura, what are we doing?" She asked. "Suikotsu is going to be pissed when he wakes up, and Jakotsu will be even angrier when he finds out we left."

"Well, you can handle it," he said, putting the key into the ignition and starting the car up. The roar of then engine was loud. "Besides, I'll be right there with you. We can take 'em."

Kagome smiled and leaned into the seat and let him drive. She wasn't sure where they were going, or what he meant by 'perfect treat,' but she couldn't wait to find out.

---

Inuyasha yawned as he poured a steaming cup of coffee and put the coffee pot back in its proper place on the coffee maker. He had hardly gotten any sleep due to the nightmares he continued to have.

He sighed as the images and slow motion action came back to his mind.

_Kagome stood in front of him, smiling and waving. "Hurry up, slowpoke! I thought half demons were faster than that!"_

_He felt his legs stiffen but then he thrust his right foot forward, then his left, and then he was running, almost gliding on the wind, toward the girl he loved._

"_Come on!" She urged him. _

_He finally reached her and he took her hands in his and looked down into her deep, chocolate brown eyes._

"_Thank you," she said at length. "You kept me safe from them, and we made it out alive. We're together. They'll never hurt us again."_

_He smiled, knowing that she was talking about her psychotic cousins. "Never." He leaned toward her to give her a kiss, but she teased him by grinning and pulling away. She then turned and ran, giggling._

"_Ha ha!" She laughed at him, mocking him. _

_He leapt forward and dove at her, absolutely positive that he would get his strong arms around her and be able to hold her. _

_Wrong. So very wrong._

_As soon as he landed, he saw her fade away and she was gone. He was alone. It was almost as if she had never even been there in the first place. "Kagome?" He asked. "Kagome?"_

_That's when he heard it -- a panicked and urgent scream. "Inuyasha! Help me!"_

_He whirled around and there she was…_

_Suikotsu and Jakotsu kept a firm hold on her upper arms and they were dragging her, using a knife to show her who was boss and who held her life in the palm of their hands. She was already bleeding on her arms and her shirt was stained with crimson. She had tearstains on her dirty face._

"_Help me!" She cried urgently, her voice full of fear. _

_He raced forward, using all of his anger, hatred, and fear to propel him onward toward the people he hated most. As soon as he reached her, he took a swing at Jakotsu, only to go right through him, as if he were a hologram. _

_He growled and swiped his sharp talons at Suikotsu and, just as he had with Jakotsu, he went right through him. _

"_Kagome!" He yelled. He suddenly felt powerless to stop them, to take the girl he loved in his arms and hold her while the other two continued on. He couldn't move; he was paralyzed. _

_He stood, motionless, and watched as they continued to drag Kagome away, and then they vanished in a fog that appeared suddenly. It was a thick, tension filled fog only seen in horror films. "Kagome…"_

_That's when he heard her voice and whirled around. She was standing in front of the rapist Ryura, with Yoshiro by her side, and Jakotsu and Suikotsu across the room. Her appeared was different; her countenance altered. Her hair reached the belt of her pants, and her muscles were more toned. Her eyed held little emotion, her face just the same, almost as if she hadn't smiled or laughed in ages._

"_There's a new 'leader' around here, cousin," she barked with evident disdain. "And it's not Naraku. It's me."_

_Inuyasha felt the world around his tilt and he felt himself teeter on the edge of reality and fiction. Which was a dream? Which was real? Everything was so confusing and it was all so vivid; it seemed as if it were happening now. _

_What he couldn't bear to see was how Ryura continued to look at Kagome, and then, how, after Kagome's stunning message, he took her hand in his and they walked away…together…_

Inuyasha had awoken with a start, and he had sat there for a moment as the dream overwhelmed him, and then he cried. Like a big baby, he let the tears flow, and blamed it on the frustration of his cold case, the aggravation at not finding Kagome. He blamed it on the fact that he hadn't cried in a while, and he needed to get it all out.

There had been no one there he had needed to lie to…other than himself.

And he could never fool himself.

Now, he just stood, sipping his hot coffee, and staring out the window. He was going to stay off, and had already called in sick. He would relax, and take a break like Miroku had instructed.

He was not, however, going to quit and give up like everyone wanted him to do.

His dream had some sort of meaning, and he was going to find out what.

---

The 'perfect treat' turned out to be breakfast out at a restaurant. Kagome had a heaping pile of pancakes on her plate, covered in sweet smelling maple syrup. She had a cup of coffee sitting beside of the plate. Ryura had bacon, eggs, and sausage, along with coffee.

"Thanks, Ryura," Kagome said, as she finished up her pancakes. "I really needed it."

"I could tell," he said. "Glad you liked it. And it wasn't a problem."

The restaurant wasn't full. There were only a few other people around, conversing and chatting, some trying to keep their children under control. She suddenly felt normal, as if she didn't just kill someone and take over an elite crime gang. She felt as if she were simply grabbing a bite of breakfast with a coworker, or, perhaps, a boyfriend.

"You really _don't_ remember, do you?" Ryura suddenly asked, snapping Kagome out of her reverie and sending her into a state of confusion.

"Huh? Remember what?" She asked, turning her attention back to him. She took a sip of coffee.

"Nothing," he said suddenly. It appeared as if he were going to leave the topic alone. However, a moment later he asked, "How far back do you remember?"

Kagome looked at him as if he were crazed. "What do you mean? I remember all the way back to…" she trailed off when she suddenly realized she could hardly remember anything at all other then the last three and a half years. She remembered Naraku's harsh training, his cruel words, his sickening touch. She remembered all of her own physical training that she had decided to take on.

But when had she joined the group?

And when did she learn about Anaya?

Why couldn't she remember?

Why did her heart feel empty sometimes?

Why did her soul feel only halfway completed?

"Ryura…I…" she could find the words. She shook her head. No. She was only being paranoid. Everything had built of and the stress was killing her.

"Come on, we need to get going." He said, rising to his feet. He left enough to cover the bill and tips. She followed him, only her body, while her mind was off somewhere else. She was like a walking shell.

She had so many questions.

With so little answers.

It was high time she got them.

* * *

Note- There! I hope you enjoyed. I liked writing this chapter. Uh-oh! Kagome is starting to wonder…will this be the start of her downfall or her triumph? And Inuyasha seems to be having some type of premonitions...what will happen next with him? Stay tuned and find out! 


	6. Chapter 6

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 6_

Kagome had been silent during the trip back to the warehouse. She had been swimming in an endless sea of muddled and confused thoughts, all seeming to lead directly to a dead end. She had a few images stored far back into the depths of her mind that she hadn't remembered in forever, and they were all intriguing. She felt her interest peak greatly and quickly, and she desired answers.

Only she knew Ryura wouldn't give them to her. Unless she gave him some sort of incentive to do so…

She blinked rapidly at the scenery as she forced the thought aside. Where had _that_ come from? She risked a hasty glance over at Ryura, examining his features as he kept his blood red gaze fixed on the road before him. She looked at his large hands as they gripped the steering wheel, and the muscles that were visible beneath his shirt.

'I'm only human,' she thought, turning away to look out the passenger window. 'So of course I'm going to feel lust…'

She still mentally hit herself numerous times for doing it. She didn't need it right now…what with becoming a new leader and just realizing that she couldn't remember half of her past.

'Ryura isn't going to tell me, and I know Suikotsu and Jakotsu sure as hell won't…so it looks like either Jura, Kyora, or Yoshiro. And I'm betting it will have to be Yoshiro,' she thought sullenly as they pulled onto the road where the warehouse was located; not far from the city.

"You ready to face the beast?" Ryura asked jokingly as they pulled up to the warehouse and parked the SUV behind it.

"Beast?" Kagome laughed. "He's just a kitten."

"Nice way to put it." He said. "What are you?"

She smiled. "I'm the tiger."

He mirrored her smile and they both got out of the vehicle. The air was slightly chilly for fall, but Kagome didn't mind. It felt good. They went inside the warehouse and closed the door behind them. That's when they heard yelling.

"Yoshiro, you better tell me where they are!" Suikotsu screamed. "If you don't, I'll kick this door down."

Kagome, feeling the hatred wash over her once more, marched forward and rounded a corner where Suikotsu stood outside Yoshiro's room. "No need," she growled. "We're here. Now leave Yoshiro alone. He hasn't done anything to you."

Suikotsu tackled her so fast she wasn't sure if he actually had until she hit the concrete of the floor, her head colliding with it. She was so stunned from the hit that she was astonished to find herself instinctively pulling her arms up to shield her face from Suikotsu's savage blows. She could hear Ryura and Yoshiro yelling at Suikotsu, attempting to get him off of her, while Jakotsu cheered him on. Jura and Kyora, obviously, just stood in their place.

She brought her knee up, using all of her leg strength, and flipped him over her head onto the floor. She heard him grunt as the impact washed through his back. She knew from experience that it didn't feel good.

She leapt up to her feet quickly, still shaking the spell of dizziness off, and waited for him to do the same. He took a moment, which was much too long for her patience, which had long ran out. She kicked him in the ribs repeatedly before grabbing him by the throat. She surprised everyone -- as well as herself -- when she lifted him up onto his feet.

'Must be the push ups and pull ups,' she thought.

She then applied pressure to his throat while pushing him back against the nearest wall.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that Ryura was holding Jakotsu back while the other three remained in place. She was thankful for Ryura's intervention; she didn't want him to get in the way of her choking the life out of Suikotsu.

"In case you didn't understand last night when I knocked you unconscious," she hissed, making sure that his wavering gaze remained on hers, "_I _am the new leader here, and if you don't like it -- tough!" She waited until his gaze seemed to fade as the lack of air began to take its toll and his face began to slightly change colors. She released him then and he fell limply to the floor. She whirled around and walked toward Ryura, who released Jakotsu.

Kagome sighed and closed her eyes to take a cleansing breath to calm down. What no one expected was for Jakotsu to come to the decision to suddenly attack Kagome instead of going to see how his brother was holding up.

He raced toward her, bent down, and his left shoulder connected with her stomach, knocking the air from her lungs. They went reeling onto the cement floor, Jakotsu pounding away while Kagome struggled to catch her breath and block the hits, all while her head continued to spin from the impact it had with the floor.

Before she knew it, Ryura had jerked Jakotsu off of her and had landed a punch to his nose, sending blood spurting from the fresh wound. Yoshiro came over and helped her to her feet. "Jakotsu!" She bellowed hotly, feeling that immense rage overcome her once more. She walked up to him and slapped him, hard, across his left cheek, before following up with a hard punch.

"Apparently _you_, too, need to be reminded," she growled. She slapped him, using her fingernails, which grazed his face, tearing away flesh. He made an indignant hissing sound between his teeth as pain coursed through his cheek. "Let that be a lesson to you."

As she marched away, she heard Jakotsu yell, "It's only because you have these guys defending you! Just wait -- when you don't have anyone, we'll see just how tough you really are!"

Kagome paused momentarily, taking in his words. Then, after pondering and deciding that they posed no immediate threat or cryptic message, she left the room.

---

"Dude, you still with me?"

Inuyasha shook his head to erase the images of his nightmare, which had bubbled to the surface of his conscious state of mind sometime during his conversation with Miroku. He took a moment to take in his surroundings, get his bearings, before saying, coolly, "Yeah, I'm still with you."

Miroku looked skeptical. "You kind of zoned out on me…" he said softly so the other people in the restaurant would not hear them. "One minute, we were talking about what a pain Sango is and the next -- you're up on Jupiter. What are you thinking about so hard?"

Inuyasha shook his head, to signal that he had been thinking about nothing.

Miroku was unconvinced. "Liar. What were you thinking about? What are you _still_ thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Am not."

"That what were you thinking about? Did you get some kind of lead as to where Kagome is?" Miroku looked hopeful.

"No, course not." Inuyasha said, deeply wishing that he had.

"Then what is it?" Miroku pried.

"It's nothing," Inuyasha assured him.

"Don't want to talk about it?" Miroku asked.

"No," came Inuyasha's terse response. "Sorry, man, but…yeah. Maybe I'll tell you later."

"Jeez," Miroku said with a grin. "Feels like we're in high school again. You have a secret and you won't tell me till later."

Inuyasha laughed lightly. He was more inside of his head, his inner world, than out in reality. He had been all day since he had awoken. He was constantly seeing Kagome, standing around as if she owned all, the ultimate queen. Her hair trailed down to the belt of her pants, slightly toned muscles beneath her shirt. She was different, and yet, still so beautiful. Until she spoke, her voice cold as ice:

"_There's a new 'leader' around here, cousin. And it's isn't Naraku. It's me."_

Had she killed off Naraku to get to the head of the food chain as far as her captors were concerned? If she had, then it seemed as if she were content to stay right where she was; she was making a home for herself. She was becoming the very thing that they had fought together, the thing that they had tried to defeat and save her from: a cold-blooded killer.

"Dude, you zoned out again." Miroku whined.

Inuyasha blinked. "Sorry, man. I'm having it rough today."

"Shame," Miroku mused. "It's your only day off, too. And all you can do is zone in and out of reality."

"Yeah…so I guess I'll call it a day." Inuyasha said. "I'll see you around."

Miroku nodded in consent and Inuyasha left the restaurant. When he got to his home, he collapsed onto his bed and sighed. Still so early in the day, yet he felt so fatigued. He closed his eyes, and prayed that he wouldn't have more nightmares.

---

"You sure about this?" Ryura asked testily.

Kagome nodded. She had thought long and hard about this after her brawl with Jakotsu and Suikotsu, who were now in their rooms, tending to their wounds like injured kittens. She had realized that she had had plenty of time, and that she had been ready from the very beginning. She also discovered that it was what she had been wanting the entire time. It was a good way to work of frustration and nervous energy. "Positive," she said, her voice firm.

"All right," Ryura said. "I'll go tell the others."

"Okay. Tell them that they need to listen to my _every _command if we are to get this done." Kagome said.

He nodded and walked out of her room to which she had beckoned him earlier.

She sighed and fell back against her pillows. That's when she heard a faint knock at her door, almost reluctant, hesitant. She sat up abruptly, daring either of her two cousins to enter her lair, her territory, unarmed, only to find a humble Yoshiro. He cowered back at her sudden movement. "Oh, come in," she said, smiling.

He did so and closed the door behind him.

She said nothing despite the fact that she wanted the door to be open.

He sat on her bed and looked at her earnestly. "Kagome, we need to talk," he said gently.

"Talk?" She asked, almost as if she were unfamiliar with such a term. "About what?"

"Us," he said so bluntly and suddenly that she felt her heart miss a beat. She despised it when that sort of thing happened; it hurt her entire chest.

"Us? I don't follow you," she said uncomfortably.

"I just wanted to tell you that…" he, too, looked uncomfortable, with his dark hair in a mess and his light brown eyes darting everywhere, only to finally, _finally_, focus on her. "I just wanted to tell you that I have strong feelings for you. Since the day we met, I've felt a deep connection toward you. You were different, and I felt it was my duty to protect you and keep you safe. The whole time, I was wondering, hoping, that, one day, we could…possibly…be a family."

Kagome gaped at him. It was quiet a speech. One that she hadn't expected from him _now_. "Yoshiro…I…don't know what to say," she said with much difficulty. She ran her hand along the back of her neck to massage away the knots in her muscles -- a nervous habit.

"Say you feel the same," he pleaded.

"Well, that's the thing," she said, hating to have to tell him the truth and watch his heart break right through the expression in his eyes. "The feeling isn't mutual, Yoshiro. I'm so sorry. But I am not looking for any kind of relationship. I look at you as a close, personal friend, an ally, a brother, even. But not that way…"

He was quiet for a long while and she feared the worst. What if he possessed a temper just like Naraku's? Would he lash out at her with rage? Or would he just sulk away and never speak to her again?

"We can still keep this bond of ours," she whispered. "I still want to be your friend."

He looked at her and gave her a weak smile. "Sure."

As he got up to leave, she apologized once more. He turned to face her, a reassuring smile on his face, "It's fine." He said, before turning and walking out the door, closing it with a light _click_ behind him.

Kagome sighed. She felt the stress gnawing away at her, and she felt the fatigue chewing at her muscles. She closed her eyes, and let the sleep overtake her.

* * *

Note-- Hmm, wonder what she has planned? And what will Inuyasha do to try and get his search for Kagome rolling again? Stay tuned and find out. By the way -- thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 7_

Inuyasha awoke that morning, stiff, but otherwise more or less intact. He had had a peaceful sleep -- despite the fact that he had cut off the circulation in his right arm several times, causing it to tingle -- and he felt somewhat rejuvenated.

He yawned, stretching his clawed hands above his head, and got out of bed. As was his usual routine on days when he had to go into work, he showered and then dressed in his uniform, his gun and handcuffs on his side. He then went into the kitchen and grabbed a cup of coffee before heading out the door.

The police department didn't seem any less hectic than it had when he had left it. Buzzing phones, other deputies discussing several interesting topics, people shuffling about through the cubicles, telling who had what phone line to get to.

However, whenever he showed up on the scene, people seemed to hush, knowing good and well of his reputable temper and smart mouth which was fast becoming legend throughout the police department. Some of the younger cops admired him, heard about some of his successful cases, desired to be like him. Some of the older cops respected him for his dedication and hard work, his discipline and drive, determination and will to continue on against all odds.

However, just like everyone else, they wished that he would give up on this Higurashi girl and move on to other cases to make his name more profound throughout the business in Tokyo.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, resented them _all_ for that, and wished that they'd either give him constructive criticism, some helpful information, or keep their damned noses out of it.

"Takahashi," a middle aged detective two cubicles away said when Inuyasha took his place at his desk to resume his long, hard work in searching for Kagome. "Were you sick yesterday?" When Inuyasha nodded curtly, the detective said, "Shame, you missed a cool get together last night at Nicky's."

"What a shame," Inuyasha said, unable to keep a slim trace of sarcasm out of his voice. "I'll have to take a rain check."

"Will do," the detective confirmed, turning away to look back at whatever case he was handling.

Sighing, Inuyasha pulled out the all too familiar files on Naraku, Ryura, Jura, Kyora, Suikotsu, Jakotsu, and Yoshiro. He still had no leads -- other than a cryptic nightmare depicting Kagome as the new leader with Naraku nowhere to be found…presumably dead.

That was all he had to go on, so he decided to figure out everything he could about any bodies found within Japan.

He just prayed he could find something.

---

Everyone was fired up.

Kagome smirked, feeling her blood burning with a strange sensation that she couldn't describe. She had been working out all morning, stretching her cramped muscles and making sure she had a healthy supply of bullets in her Beretta and Colt 45.

She had ate a good breakfast -- courtesy of Ryura -- and had practiced a bit with her priestess powers to make sure that she still had absolute control of them. She had had her doubts at first -- with her outburst against Suikotsu -- but now she was entirely sure that she possessed full domination of her powers.

The only thing she didn't have overall manipulation of was her emotions.

She still felt pretty upset about having to turn Yoshiro down when he had professed his love for her, and she still felt poignant when she remembered how he had left her room, looking dejected, as if he had been tossed away like an empty candy bar wrapper.

Then there was the nervous tension she was feeling from her decision of the day before. When Ryura enlightened the others about it, she could feel their eagerness, their zeal, and how their moods seemed to lighten enormously. They didn't seem angry at her any longer -- no one seemed to bear a grudge. So this also brought on a sense of confusion. It felt weird to have everyone on her side, to be their leader.

Then there was the lust. That terrible, burning lust that she had been feeling for days now, which spiked when she made eye contact with Ryura. She had feelings for him, it was true -- but now the desire to have the pressure of his body on hers was growing stronger.

Not that she'd do it, of course. Just as she'd told Yoshiro -- she wasn't looking for a relationship. She would not go behind Yoshiro's back and go to Ryura after telling such a thing to her good friend.

But that didn't stop him from coming to her.

He walked across the entertainment room where everyone was gathered, watching some sort of action thriller on the big screen, to where she sat, in a spinning chair by the door. When she saw him coming, her pulse quickened, and her breathing amplified. "Hey," he said. "Can I talk to you?"

She nodded and allowed him to lead her from the room. Once outside, drown out by the constant shooting on the movie, he said, "You nervous?"

"A little bit. Mostly restless," she answered honestly. "You?"

"Nah. Not really. Just a bit concerned," he said.

"Concerned?" She question, her eyebrows going up. She hoped she could hide her discomfort and blazing need and desire. "About…?"

"Well, you, for one thing," he said, surprising her when he reached out and stroked her left arm with his fingertips.

"Me?" She struggled to ask, feeling chills shoot up and down her spine. "Why me?"

"It's your first time doing something this big," he replied. "And, since you're my favorite person here, I care a lot about you."

Kagome felt her face flush, and tried to will it away and attempted to ignore the pressure of his hand on her arm. It didn't work. "Well, I'm flattered. You put me over your two brothers."

"Yeah," he said with a soft smile. "You _should_ be flattered. My brothers, even though their idiots, I still love 'em," he paused momentarily and moved his fingers from her arm to brush stray hair from her eyes. He then let his hand linger on the side of her face. He cupped it and looked deep into her eyes. "Not as much as I love you."

This stunned her. She had no idea how to react, nothing to say. She was at a loss for words, as well as actions. He, however, helped her change that by closing the space between them and kissing her.

It was a hard kiss, but gentle at the same time. Kagome melted instantly, her arms reaching up to snake around his broad neck. He was such a _good_ kisser, and she was such a sap that she'd fall for anything.

The lack of oxygen hit and they pulled away simultaneously, breath coming out in labored gasps. He moved down and planted kisses along her neck, causing her breath to hitch in her throat. Her legs buckled but he did not let her fall. He supported her. She tossed her head back a bit, allowing him more access to her neck and the area above her collar bones.

'Lust is such a powerful emotion…no wonder it is among the seven deadly sins…it is number one on my list of sins that are sucking me in right now. Next would probably be wrath…' she thought idly in the back of her mind. As Ryura continued his tantalizing kisses that left her skin burning in their wake, Kagome suddenly saw something. She didn't physically see it; it was mental. She had a vision -- a premonition or a memory -- she wasn't sure, but she saw it.

"_You know…" she heard herself say, her breathing irregular. She leaned over to her left a bit, tilting her neck to the side, giving him more access to it. She ignored how her skin reacted toward his touch and continued. "This won't count…"_

"_What do you mean?" Ryura asked, kissing lower, stroking her silky skin on her back._

"_As rape. You won't get number sixteen after all," she finished._

'Ryura…get sixteen?' She thought, her mind suddenly feeling like a sluggish horse that was carrying much more weight than it could handle. 'Right! This was when he was Ryura fifteen…he has twenty now…so it must be a memory!'

And just like that, Kagome realized that he had attempted to rape her in the past. But she didn't flinch or jerk herself away from him as he still kissed away. Even when he brought his lips up to hers, she didn't shy away. She just continued to think.

'He tried to rape me…but considering my actions now I probably would have went along with it, so why was I resisting?'

She felt a hand snake up her shirt to rest on her bare back while the other rested on her stomach. She then realized that her hands had moved while she had been drowning in her thoughts and memories; they were now on the inside of his shirt, holding onto his muscular back tightly.

He trailed kisses down again, and this time, she moaned before grunting, "Ryura…no, wait."

He stopped, but didn't release her. "What is it?"

"I…" she was panting like a dog trapped in a hot car on a summer day. "I don't think we should do this…I had to turn Yoshiro down yesterday." She winced when she thought about how sluttish she sounded.

He didn't notice. "All right. It's cool." He said.

After examining him, she noticed that he wasn't mad and that it really _was_ cool with him. She smiled and gave him another quick kiss before going back in to watch the movie.

---

Inuyasha had been idly messing with the pen in his pencil holder for the past five minutes, bored out of his mind and out of possible leads. No one had discovered any kind of body whatsoever within five years. It was depressing to know that his only lead had been squashed.

Now, he sighed, and just listened in on the conversation going on between the adjacent cubicles. He already took note that it was an older policeman and a younger, rookie cop.

"Have you heard about that jewelry store in Osaka?" The younger cop asked.

"Yeah, the real expensive place?" The older guys asked. "I heard something about it. Aren't they gettin' some type of delivery tomorrow?"

"Yeah!" The excited rookie exclaimed. "Real top dollar stuff. Expensive diamonds. They're supposed to be delivered around noon to the store itself."

Inuyasha's ears perked with interest.

"It will be only one person doing the job, though," the elder cop said, all knowingly. "They don't want to be too noticeable about it."

Inuyasha then jumped up and went toward the chief's office. He burst through the door, startling Yoshimi Samara. She looked up at him with wide scarlet eyes before settling down. "Takahashi," she said slowly, uncertainly. Inuyasha rarely paid Yoshimi any visits. "What is it?"

"You hear about that jewelry drop off tomorrow in Osaka?" He asked, feeling his blood bubbling. He was getting excited. Though, he had no idea why. It could be just a drop off and nothing more. But he still remained open minded and hopeful.

She nodded leisurely. "What about it?"

"I was hoping if I could go--"

"What?"

"--And be a security guard there," he finished, feeling his heart sink slowly at her disapproving gaze.

"You want to leave here," she began, taking her time in gathering all of the information. "To spend a day watching a jewelry store when expensive diamonds are dropped off?"

Inuyasha nodded meekly. Yoshimi had a temper, and he knew it. He, as well as everyone else, was fearful of it. However, it sort of reminded him of Kagome's temper…

Yoshimi leaned back into her black spinning chair with a light sigh. "Why?"

Inuyasha's face took on the expression it always tended to sport when discussing Kagome. Yoshimi knew it at once. "Oh, _that_."

"Come on, Yoshimi," he said, his voice pleading and wimpy, but he didn't care. "I mean, Chief Samara. Just put me on it for a day, and if anything goes wrong, I can take care of the case while I'm down there. It's not like you need me here, anyways."

Yoshimi, who had long bluish hair, studied him for a few moments with her scarlet gaze. She tucked some hair behind her ear and sighed. "When can you leave, Takahashi?"

"ASAP," he said.

"Fine, I'll call the chief in Osaka to get you cleared in with the jewelry store," she said, extending a hand toward her phone.

Feeling immensely proud of himself and thankful toward Yoshimi, he leapt up and raced toward the door. He stopped when she called his name. He turned around and said, "Yeah?"

"I hope you find something, and I hope you get her back." Yoshimi said gently. "Good luck."

He smiled, "Thanks."

Then he turned and raced out the door, filled with a new sense of hope and purpose.

* * *

Note- there you have it! The next chapter…what will happen? Find out! 


	8. Chapter 8

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 8_

It was a cold morning.

Kagome gave a violent shiver, which insinuated herself just a tiny bit closer to Ryura, who sat beside her in the backseat of the SUV.

"Cold?" He asked.

She gave him a pointed look, complete with a smile and he wrapped a broad arm around her shoulder. She moved slightly to glance at her watch. Eleven fifteen. Forty five minutes to go.

Kagome sighed and leaned against Ryura, unafraid of what people would think. After all, Yoshiro wasn't present, and neither were Jakotsu and Suikotsu. It was just her, Ryura, and Jura. Kyora was instructed to remain _outside_ of the vehicle and down the sidewalk a little ways.

Yoshiro, however, was allowed to stay at their 'home base.'

"Damn," Jura said from the front driver's seat. "It _is _a cold morning. This piece of shit heater isn't helping, either."

"What about the other SUV?" Kagome questioned. "Does the heat work in that one?"

"Nope." Jura said, killing Kagome's plan to tell him that they should have brought the other SUV, if it had _had_ heat.

Ryura embraced her completely and they leaned into the seat, snuggling with one another. "Just hang tight," he chided her. "After a few more minutes, your blood will be burnin' from excitement and you won't have to worry about me trying to keep you warm."

She gave him a smile and leaned her head against his shoulder. Might as well grab a bit of rest.

---

This place was crowded.

Inuyasha growled quietly, a deep, throaty noise, as he examined all of the humans entering the jewelry store. Some were gathered around the shelves, admiring the many diverse diamond bracelets, while others were looking at the beautifully assorted emerald necklaces. A female employee was behind a counter, holding out a pale blue engagement ring to a young couple, who looked overjoyed to be getting married.

'Just wait until you _are_ married,' Inuyasha thought wryly. 'Game over. She won't be the same.'

He forced the thought aside and endeavored to concentrate on his current mission, to focus on the peoples' faces as they all moved about the store.

It was much more difficult than he had originally planned.

No one seemed familiar to him, other than the manager, who was also behind a glass counter, helping a middle aged man pick out the perfect gift for his wife. He had been acquainted with the manager the day before after his flight had gotten in. He had driven straight here, welcomed with hospitality thanks to Yoshimi's call.

Before, he had envisioned seeing the familiar face of a killer, or a rapist, and nagging them before they had the opportunity to do anything. Then they would lead him to Kagome and he'd rescue her and they could go back to how it used to be. Simple.

Now, however, things were not going too well.

He hadn't seen _anyone_ familiar or suspicious.

He mentally groaned and took a look at the clock up on the wall. Eleven fifty five.

Five minutes.

---

Kagome opened her eyes abruptly.

Ryura hadn't whispered her name to rouse her from her light sleep. Neither had Jura. It was merely out of instinct. Her mind somehow registered the fact that it was time to go and forced her eyes open. Her heart missed a beat in anticipation.

That's when the tiny speakers around her neck sparked with life, crackling and sputtering with static. Then, Suikotsu's voice said, "He's in."

Kagome gulped. She took the tiny speaker in her hand, pressed a button, and acknowledged him, "Right. We moving in."

She looked up at Ryura and gave a nod. He nodded in consent. "After this," she murmured. "We're going to leave this city."

"Where to?" Ryura asked as he slipped a gun into a holster stored on the inside of his jacket.

"Not sure yet," she said softly. "Tokyo?"

She saw Ryura visibly pale, his muscles clench. Then he said, "Sure, why not? Let's just go get this over with. Jura -- stay here, you know the drill."

Kagome watched as he climbed out of the SUV and extended a hand to her to help her do the same. She accepted it, feeling a slight tugging in the back of her mind. What was wrong with him? What was wrong with Tokyo?

He slipped a pair of dark sunglasses on over his blood red eyes and pulled the hood of his dark hoodie over his head. He didn't look suspicious. He just appeared to be a young, arrogant man who was probably coming to purchase a diamond necklace to try and woo his ex-girlfriend.

Kagome put on a pair of shades as well and a baseball cap, flipped backwards. She was wearing street clothes, and seemed to blend in with the wrong side of the street, not the rich high class society.

Ryura went in first, then Kagome, so they wouldn't look suspicious. Once inside, Kagome didn't remove her glasses -- her first impulse. Instead, she took a moment to let her eyes adjust to the double darkness the glasses and indoors created before moving over toward a glass case housing emerald green necklaces. They were breathtaking, and she felt the temptation to steal one of these overcome her. She pushed it aside.

She looked to her left out of the corner of her eye, hidden by the glasses, and saw Ryura. He was slowly inching his way over toward the target -- a security guard standing near a glass case. She knew what he intended to do, and she knew what she had to do after he did so.

She looked toward her right and saw another man…her senses screamed at her that he was a demon. Her heart told her than he was familiar to her, that he held some sort of connection to her. She took a moment to study his silver hair and his amber eyes, and the triangular dog ears atop his head. He somehow blended into the crowd -- she hadn't seen him when she had first entered the store. She was sure that Ryura hadn't, either.

---

Inuyasha studied the girl admiring the emerald green necklaces. She looked so familiar…yet so different. He wanted to yell, "Kagome!" and run and embrace her, but he also didn't want to be mistaken of her identity and make a fool of himself. She wouldn't be running around in a jewelry store in Osaka if she were being held captive, would she?

'Of course not,' he told himself. 'Quit seeing things. You're just paranoid over this job. Relax and focus.'

---

Kagome gave Ryura a slight nod that wasn't visible to anyone else. He returned it.

He approached the security guard that he had been stealthily crowding up to and let him have it -- right across the back of the head with his gun. That's when Jakotsu and Suikotsu reacted, leaping out of their seats around the store, yanking out their guns and tearing off their shades. "Everybody down!" They yelled. The customers, in fear for their lives, dropped to the ground like dying flies.

Kagome, using her acting skills, also dropped to the floor and sported a frightened expression.

When Suikotsu yelled "Faces down!" she couldn't draw her eyes away from the familiar looking security guard.

That's when Suikotsu kicked her directly in the rib cage.

'You jackass,' she thought heatedly, putting her head down. 'You only did that because you hate my guts.'

She took in a deep breath and braced herself for what was to happen next.

---

Inuyasha growled and got down on his knees. He felt anger well up within him at having to watch that innocent girl get kicked. He wanted to do something, but feared risking guiltless lives.

Instead, he just laid low and waited to let the events unfold. Maybe _then_ he'd be able to do something.

---

"What I want," Suikotsu bellowed, "is on the other side of that bullet proof glass." He pointed with his gun toward the mentioned glass. Inside was a vault and a young man, who was sweating like a pig and clearly frightened out of his mind.

"I can't get in there," he continued on. "Unless someone opens it."

He then jerked Kagome up roughly by her hair. She let out a frightened yelp as Suikotsu drug her and slammed her against the glass, aiming the gun at her head. "Hey there," Suikotsu said to the guy on the other side. "Why don't you open it up?"

The man on the other side cast a nervous 'what should I do?' look toward the manager, who still stood stiffly behind the counter, Jakotsu aiming a gun at his head.

Suikotsu, taking note of his gaze, said, "I don't think he can help you. Just open it up and no one gets hurt."

"Please," Kagome begged him in a broken, pleading voice. "Please open it!" The man looked so nervous at having to make a split decision that would either have a dead woman or stolen goods on his conscious -- two things he obviously hadn't looked forward to having to deal with when he went in to work that day.

Finally, after battling with himself, he opened it.

Suikotsu released Kagome, who smirked at the man in the vault, before winking at him. "Thanks," she whispered. She then drew her gun and aimed it at the demon security guard who had gotten on his feet. He looked stunned at her actions.

She approached him.

---

Inuyasha couldn't speak.

That girl was a double crosser! She had just fooled _everyone_ -- even himself -- into thinking that she was a helpless and beautiful bystander.

He felt his mouth go bone dry and he was at a loss for words. What surprised him more was when she approached him.

"Surprised?" She asked, smirking, her Colt 45 drawn and aimed at his head. "You look it."

It was Kagome.

---

She felt something form within the pit of her stomach. A mix between fear, excitement, and worry. Something was telling her to leap into this demon's arms and let him run. Another part of her just wanted to shoot everyone there out of pure adrenaline.

'Why does he look so familiar to me?' She wondered. 'Have I met him before?'

She decided against the possibility. She hadn't met _anyone _outside of the gang.

So why did her mind keep refusing to believe it?

A gunshot was heard from the vault, causing everyone to snap their attention toward it. Only Suikotsu emerged from the room, a bag in his left hand, gun in the other.

The demon made a sudden movement behind her and Kagome whirled on him, aiming her gun at him. "Don't think about it," she hissed. "I _will _kill you." This was a lie; she didn't feel as if she _could_ kill him. He seemed too…familiar and nice.

Then, hand in hand with Ryura, she followed Suikotsu and Jakotsu out the door. They hopped into the car, and Jura started the engine. They sped away from the scene of the crime as millionaires.

Or possibly billionaires.

---

Inuyasha was heartbroken and shaken.

While everyone else picked up the broke pieces of their nerves, Inuyasha struggled to gather the bits of his shattered heart.

Kagome had been here. Kagome had set everyone up and fooled them all. Kagome had aided the robbery of a jewelry store with the criminals who had kidnapped her.

Kagome had also threatened to kill him and walked out of a jewelry store holding hands with a rapist.

Well, his dream had been right.

Kagome was now the leader of that gang, infatuated with someone else…and a cold blooded killer.

And just like all cold blooded killers, she had to be taken out.

* * *

Note-- Aw, how sad! What will Inuyasha do now? Will he actually track Kagome down and arrest her? Or will she remember anything? Will they get out of the city before he finds them? Stay tuned! Thanks for reading. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 9_

The SUV was full of happy faces as it traveled down the partially full street, millions of dollars worth of diamonds in Suikotsu's hands. "We did it!" He said jubilantly. "We just pulled it off."

"Does that surprise you?" Ryura asked from the backseat, sitting by Kagome's side. "We had a genius plan the whole thing."

"You mean me, right?" Suikotsu asked. "I know it wasn't _her._" He didn't bother to try and mask the disdain for her.

"No, she planned the whole thing, remember?" Ryura continued, pretending as if he hadn't heard the hateful tone that Suikotsu possessed.

"Other than you kicking me in my ribs." Kagome pointed out.

"Think of it as calling it even," Suikotsu said.

"For what?" Kagome asked, anger bubbling toward the surface. "Me kicking your ass?"

"Hey now!" Ryura said, sliding up to the edge of the seat so he could get in between the two indignant people. "We just got rich, all right? Let's not fight. We have to celebrate."

"What do you have in mind?" Jakotsu asked.

While Ryura continued to explain his plans of celebration to Jakotsu, Kagome was idly staring out the window at the scenery that sped past, her mind continually flashing back to that guy.

'Why does he look so familiar?' She wondered as she pulled a buck knife out of its sheath on her hip and began absentmindedly caressing the sharp blade. 'I haven't met him before. I _know_ I haven't. So why did I feel the need to just let him take me away somewhere else?'

She sighed and replaced the knife into the sheath. 'Don't worry about it now. You have to go celebrate with these guys on a job well done. We're billionaires.'

---

Inuyasha was dreading that phone call. He had been interviewed all day by the chief of the Osaka police department, and he had then been bombarded by the press, who had, apparently, found out everything within the two hours after the incident had occurred. To put it bluntly, he was exhausted and he wasn't too happy to have his cell phone ring and the caller ID tell him that it was Yoshimi.

"Takahashi," he said after flipping open his phone.

"Inuyasha," Yoshimi said. "What happened?"

"You mean you don't know?" He asked sarcastically. "It's all over the news."

"Your sarcasm isn't appreciated, Takahashi," she growled. "I know what happened with the whole diamond theft. What I what to know is what happened with _you_."

"Me?" Inuyasha asked. He cast a wary glance around at the scene of the crime as police and crime scene investigators scoured the area around him. "What do you mean, 'what happened with me'?"

"I thought you could handle it," she elaborated. "You said you could. Why did you let them escape?"

"I didn't want to risk innocent civilians' lives," Inuyasha said flatly.

"That's not the only reason why," Yoshimi told him. "What _really_ happened?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth to speak, only to close it again. He was still having trouble processing what he had witnessed, and the amount of pain it had caused and would cause in the near future. He still wasn't sure if he should divulge this information with Yoshimi or not.

After a moment of pondering, he chose to wait until he had a plan or course of action.

"I don't know," he said lamely. "I really don't. I guess it was because of the fact that I was so shocked at having guessed right."

Yoshimi was silent for a few minutes before saying, "Fine. I'm not angry with you, Takahashi. Just look into it and see what you can do. All right?"

"Sure thing," he said before slamming his phone closed.

'I need to find a place to unwind,' he thought. 'Anywhere will work…just someplace where I can forget about this, or at least clear my mind.'

---

The music was pulsing, the force of the sound waves bouncing against her body caused her chest to vibrate and her ears to ring. There were many gyrating and dancing bodies on the dance floor, and Kagome had a hard time squeezing through them. However, she held onto Ryura's arm tightly as he led the way through the vast sea of unique bodies and faces. The lights were flashing blue and pink and purple, and it all made Kagome's senses run wild. She felt lightheaded and tired, but she forced her feet to keep going, one after the other.

"Why did I let you talk me into coming here?" She yelled to be heard over the music.

"Because you love me." Ryura said, pausing to turn and look back at her. "Besides, what's wrong with it?"

Kagome merely shrugged in response.

Ryura smirked and lead her over to the bar, where the music was less intimidating. He took a seat on one of the many stools assorted in front of the wooden bar. Kagome copied his actions. "Better?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

Ryura whistled at the bartender and told him something inaudible to Kagome. She didn't care, though. She just took a moment to examine the scene around her and wonder why Suikotsu, Jakotsu, Ryura, and the others chose _this_ place of all the other places in Osaka to celebrate their heist. It was crowded and noisy and hot; not a place she felt like being at that time. She wasn't, however, going to share this information with Ryura and spoil his night out. She was going to go along with it as best she could and try to have a good time, like the others undoubtedly were.

That's when the bartender appeared with to glasses with some type of substance in them. Ryura took one from him and handed the other to Kagome. She looked at it curiously before casting a inquisitive glance at Ryura.

"Try it," he said. "It's wine."

Kagome sighed and took a sip. It felt hot against her throat as it traveled down into her stomach. She forced it down and gave Ryura a look that read 'you drink this often?'

"It's all right," he said with a chuckle as he downed his own. "You get used to it."

"After about a year," she added with a laugh. She gave the glass of wine to Ryura and turned around once again to scan the crowd of dancers.

"Something wrong, Kagome?" Ryura asked after a while.

"Huh?" She jerked her attention back toward the demon with red eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Ever since the--" he lowered his voice "--robbery, you have been a little spacey. Like you've been thinking a lot. Are you regretting it or something? Or are you afraid?"

She shook her head. "No, it's not that. I don't regret it. And I'm not scared."

"Liar." Ryura said succinctly. "I can sense it. You keep forgetting that about us demons. What are you afraid of?"

"Nothing." Kagome lied.

"Then what are you thinking about?"

Kagome stared at him. She was unable to perform any other function. The only thing she could do was think. And even then her thoughts were so muddled and chaotic she couldn't decide on something to say. After a minute of fighting with herself, she took a deep breath and asked, "Ryura…how did I join this group in the first place?"

She saw a wave of many different emotions wash over his face then. Confusion, fear, wonder, and uncertainty. That clued her in and she said, "Something happened, didn't it?"

"Kagome, nothing happened," he hastened to assured her, sitting up straight and placing the glass of wine down. "It's just that…well…"

Kagome sat as still as a statue, almost afraid to move, and patiently waited for him to explain. When he said nothing, she said, "You've been lying to me."

"No, I haven't--"

"No! By denying it, you're lying to me," she snapped, standing up on her shaking feet. "This wasn't how I used to be, was it? You changed me into a blood thirsty killer!"

That's when Ryura grabbed her roughly by her upper arm and jerked her down into her seat. "Shut the hell up," he commanded her as if she were an obeying dog. "You _want _to get arrested?"

Kagome's mouth had gone dry and her heart had leapt up into her throat. She was sure Ryura could see it pounding against her neck, pulsing with fear, trying to escape from her body. "Let go of my arm," she ordered.

Ryura's grip loosened and she jerked her arm free of his grasp. "Kagome…" he said. "Look, do you want to leave and we can talk about this?"

Kagome shook her head. When he attempted to touch her on her shoulder, she shied away from him. "Stop it," she said tonelessly. "I'm going to the bathroom." She rose to her feet one more and forced herself to walk toward the back of the nightclub and down a lonely hallway.

After that, she could no longer continue on and she fell against the wall, sliding down to the hardwood floor slowly. She closed her eyes to try and will away her nausea. Instead, images suddenly flashed through her head.

_She was sitting upon a brick wall in front of a place she assumed was a school. Adjacent to her was a girl with long, brown hair that pulled back into a very loose ponytail. She had light pink eye shadow on the lids of her brown eyes. "I wonder when he will ask you out," she said lightly as she gazed up at the clouds._

"_Who?" Kagome asked, turning to look at the girl. _

"_Inuyasha, silly." _

"_Yeah, right, Sango," Kagome said with a snort. "_Him_? Ask _me _out?"_

"_You know he likes you," Sango said. "Don't even try to deny it. Oh, look, here he comes. Inuyasha!"_

_Kagome turned and saw a demon approaching them with long silver hair and dog ears atop his head. His piercing and alert amber eyes were the most beautiful she had ever seen. With him was another guy -- a human with violet eyes and dark hair pulled back in a small ponytail. _

"_Hello my dear Sango," the guy with the ponytail said, reaching out and taking Sango's slender hand in his. She jerked away._

"_Aw, Sango, don't be that way," he chided, stroking her backend. _

"_Miroku! You pervert!" She yelled before slapping him across his face._

Kagome shook her head, gasping in deep breath after breath. It was a memory. Something from her past that she remembered. She knew it! There _had_ been something before this gang!

She hugged herself when she remembered how there was still so much she didn't remember or understand, and how she had been brought to believe that this was her home. She felt the tears threaten to fall, but she blinked them back. She sniffled pitifully and closed her eyes once more.

_Kagome sighed and looked at Inuyasha while Sango continued talking to Miroku. He glared back at her scornfully. "What?"_

_Kagome shook her head. "Nothing."_

"_Have you got a staring problem, or something?"_

"_No. I just want to know if you're okay."_

"_I'm fine," he growled._

_Kagome shrugged and turned toward Kikyo's picture. "Whatever you say."_

Kagome snapped her eyes open. Kikyo's remembrance assembly. She remembered it.

'Maybe if I keep closing my eyes…I'll start remembering more…'

"_I guess I'm just afraid," she whispered._

"_Don't be," he said, rubbing her back gently. "I'm here with you."_

_She pulled her face away and looked up into his amber eyes. "I know."_

_He leaned down and closed the space between them by pressing his lips against hers gently. As they kissed, Kagome realized that he was there with her. She realized that, since he was there, she felt stronger, less afraid. She knew that, with Inuyasha by her side, they were going to stop Death._

Kagome jerked her head up. Death. That was Suikotsu. Suikotsu had been the one tormenting her. And Inuyasha had been…

"Oh, God," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. She began to shake violently.

"Are you al right, miss?" A voice asked.

She managed to turn and locate the source. Her heart nearly stopped when her eyes fell upon that same half demon.

"It's you…" he said, a bit of disdain in his voice. "You're under arrest." He pulled out a badge to clarify his authority. Then he sported a confused expression. "Are you all right?"

"Inu...Inuyasha…" Kagome managed to get out. "Oh…God, I'm so sorry…"

"Hey, calm down." Inuyasha said, dropping his badge and the handcuffs he had taken out to lock Kagome in. "Take it easy."

Kagome began shaking so aggressively and viciously, he wasn't sure what to do. Instead, he took her in his arms and pulled out his cell phone and dialed nine-one-one.

"What is your emergency?" The woman asked after the second ring.

"This is Inuyasha Takahashi of the Tokyo Police Department. I am at the _Rave_ Nightclub in downtown Osaka with a woman in shock. Need immediate medical assistance."

"Hang tight, I have sent an ambulance out."

"Thanks." Inuyasha said before hanging up. He turned his attention back toward Kagome. "It's all right. There will be help for you."

He flinched when she took a fistful of his jacket and held on tightly as the spasms continued to wrack her body. Her breathing was labored and she was still sobbing. "Kagome…"

"Yeah?" She managed to choke out.

"Do you remember…?" He still couldn't believe that he had gone through with his previous plan of arresting her and was now holding her in his arms once again. But there was something seriously wrong with her. She hadn't seemed like herself before, but now she did. For the most part. He could feel the newly built muscles beneath her cotton shirt and her hair was longer, her eyes still held a certain icy tone.

She nodded slightly. "Most of it." She was trembling and he tried to comfort her by telling her that she would be okay. She kept mumbling incoherent things about how 'they' were going to come looking for her and kill him, but he ignored her. Eventually…she fainted and was transported to a nearby hospital.

* * *

Note- there you go! How was it? I apologize for the wait, guys. Like it said on my profile, I needed some motivation and inspiration and time. I got it today! Hopefully, I can keep it up. If not, I'm sorry. Thanks for reading and please keep it up. You know what to do now. 


	10. Chapter 10

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 10_

Yoshiro ducked behind the wall as Ryura's stentorian and acrimonious shouting echoed through the warehouse once more. He knew by now that, despite the fact that Ryura was rarely ever angry, his temper was one to fear. It was vicious.

"So _none_ of you saw her _before_ the ambulance took her away?" Ryura demanded hotly, pacing the concrete floor of the large room.

"We already told you," Jura said, mustering up the courage to remain calm. "Nobody saw her but you."

Ryura clenched his fists angrily. "So what could have happened? Why did they have to come and get her?"

After a moment's silence, Suikotsu said, "Hm, too bad. Looks like she won't be getting any of the cut from the diamonds."

Ryura just gave him a death glare that, if looks could kill, would have caused Suikotsu to fall over dead instantaneously. "She'll be out of the hospital. She _will_ get her share…what is owed to her."

"Owed to her?" Suikotsu asked.

"She was the one who came up with the plan. She is our leader. She _will _get some," Ryura growled, his voice low.

"One other thing," Jakotsu cut in from across the room. "They will try to locate her family. They will probably come here. What then, genius?"

"I say we leave," Suikotsu said. "Forget the bitch and let's get out of here."

"I like that," Jura said.

"As do I," Kyora said.

"Well I don't." Ryura said. "And we're not abandoning her. She helped us get it. Without her, you guys would still be poor idiots trying to figure _how_ to get into the place and steal the diamonds."

"Will you just stop giving her all the credit?" Suikotsu demanded angrily. "We helped, too!"

"The only thing _you_ did was get us put on the most wanted list by killing an innocent man who worked there." Ryura countered. "I know you guys did your part, that's why you're still in and getting your share. Doesn't Kagome deserve that, too?"

After a while of nothing but silence and breathing and tension, Suikotsu backed down away from Ryura, whose eyes had seemed to glow with heated rage.

"Then it's settled," Ryura said. "Kagome is still in."

---

Kagome opened her eyes slowly so she wouldn't cause herself much of a headache. What she saw was spinning white walls, a white tile floor, and a white ceiling. She blinked rapidly to try and keep the room from spinning, but she failed miserably. After a moment of failed attempts, she sighed and closed her eyes and waited. She soon opened them and found her vision to be much better.

She was in a hospital room, which appeared much more intimidating that it should have with its size. What frightened her more than the immense amount of white were the wires coming out of her arm and going into many different tubes. She could hear the sound of her heartbeat being monitored. It began to go faster when she took stock of everything.

She was in a hospital gown. It was huge on her small frame and hideous. Her regular street clothes were lying on a table nearby in a neatly folded pile. She was hot due to being beneath the thick blankets of the sanitized hospital bed. Her breathing was coming out quickly.

'I shouldn't be here,' she thought frantically. 'I don't _want_ to be here. I need to go back. I need answers.'

She pulled the wires from her arm carefully, wincing as she did so. The heart machine made a very violent flat note, signaling no pulse. She frenetically found a way to cut the machine off, stopping it mid-note. She then grabbed her clothes and ran into the bathroom. She slipped on her jeans and long sleeved shirt, then her socks and shoes. She ran her fingers through her hair carelessly to try and straighten it out.

She then left the bathroom and went out into the hall carefully. Nurses were bustling about, some were pushing wheel-chair bound patients, but none of them gave her the twice over.

She turned down another corridor and caught an elevator before it closed. There was only one other person inside, who didn't speak to her.

She made it to the last floor and went outside into the cool midday air. She looked around, feeling the overwhelming sensation of being lost and alone, before heading in a random direction. She knew the street name in which the warehouse was located, but she wasn't sure how to get there. So she stopped and asked for directions.

"Ah," the elderly man said after she asked him. He was sitting on a bench in the park enjoying the sunshine. "You're not very far, missy. Just go down that road right there and then take a right, then another right and there you are."

Kagome thanked him before going in the direction he had indicated. She took a right and then took another right and, sure enough, there it was, on one of the most abandoned and dirty streets ever.

She burst through the door before slamming it behind her. "Ryura! Suikotsu!"

The two mentioned, along with all the others, emerged from the 'entertainment' room, all of them sporting surprised and confused expressions.

"Kagome, hey," Suikotsu said lamely.

"How did you get out?" Yoshiro asked.

"I thought they were going to come find _us_," Jakotsu said.

"Wrong. _I_ came to find you." Kagome growled angrily. "I walked out, just to answer your question, Yoshiro. I want answers. Now."

"Answers?" Jura asked.

"What do you mean, 'answers'?" Kyora asked.

"I want to know if I've always been like this. Why all of you have been lying to me. Why I forgot everything in the first place. How I got here. How did I end up like this." Kagome elaborated. "I want to know the _whole story._"

Suikotsu began smirking. "Ah, I see. So you finally figured it out."

"What do you mean?" Kagome asked, watching her cousin as he approached her and began circling around her like a buzzard does it's dead prey.

"I mean, it took you long enough. Over three years, to be exact." Suikotsu said, continuing to circle around Kagome.  
"Tell me the whole story. No lies." Kagome said, her voice beginning to shake a bit.

"All right." Suikotsu agreed.

"No, Suikotsu." Ryura said hastily. "Don't."

"Well you can't keep it from her forever." Suikotsu said. "Or is it because you're afraid she won't love you anymore?"

This caused a few confused looks, but Ryura only said, "No, just…whatever." His face was a slight shade of red.

Suikotsu, looking as smug as ever, went on with his story. "It goes _way_ back, Kagome. When you were still in Tokyo. When you still attended high school. You received an email message from someone who went by the name 'Death.' That someone was me, Kagome. I tortured you, made you choose people from your school so that Jakotsu and I could go and kill them off."

Kagome saw images flash through her mind as Suikotsu paused.

_Kikyo's memorial service. _

_Koga lying in a bloody heap on his floor. _

She closed her eyes tightly and willed them away. When she opened her eyes again, Suikotsu stood right in front of her, smirking arrogantly, as if he were in control. "At first, you were scared, and didn't know what to do. But I had you trapped. You couldn't run, hide, or call the cops. I killed all of the people you told me to, and some you didn't. You were weak. I was in control."

Kagome didn't know what to do or say, so she just stood in place and stared into her cousin's eyes. She held her gaze firmly until he began circling her once more and she just listened to the sickening sound of his voice as he went on.

"But then you started fighting back. You became more resilient. In the end, we all met up at your school -- me, Jakotsu, you, Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, and Bankotsu -- and we ended up going to jail."

Kagome remembered with perfect clarity the details and events of that night. She closed her eyes as visions played out in her head.

_Kagome, reacting with speed she never knew she had, wrenched the knife he possessed away from him and grabbed him by the shirt collar. She hauled him backwards, away from the struggling Inuyasha and Jakotsu. He swung his hand backward, striking out at her. The shot connected with her face and she fell to the concrete. When he tried to, once again, separate his brother and Inuyasha, Kagome tripped him by hooking her foot behind his knee. He collapsed and she leapt on top of him, the knife poised at his throat._

"_Do it," he said._

_She stared at him. She couldn't. She didn't want to be like him…she _couldn't _be like him._

"After that," he said, extracting her from her reminiscences. "We broke out and kidnapped you. We brought you to Kyoto where our buddy, Naraku, was waiting. You went through hell."

_Her breathing was coming out ragged, but she didn't dare stop. All she knew was that she might actually be making out alive, and escaping Suikotsu for a second time._

_Right up until someone tackled her, knocking the air out of her and sending searing pain throughout her body._

_She looked up to find Ryura on top of her, smirking, Jakotsu coming up behind him, saying, "Kill the bitch! Kill her!"_

"_No, I'm not going to kill her," Ryura said calmly, running his fingers through Kagome's raven hair, which she was sure had blood in it, as well. She was repulsed by his touch, but didn't dare move in fear of having him hurt her more._

Kagome shuddered and cast a saddened and startled glance at Ryura, who had, by this time, hidden his face from her view, his head hung in what she figured was shame.

"We made you kill people. We tried to kill your friends _again_ when you escaped several times and finally got them to come after you." Suikotsu grinned. "Eventually, though, Naraku grew fed up with it. He made you one of us. _He _was the one who erased your memory, made you think you were one of us, changed you. You forgot everything, other than your name and our relation, and we moved here to Osaka. You know the rest after that."

Kagome felt her knees buckle and she could no longer stand. Ryura apparently noticed this because he caught her swiftly when her legs gave way. They sat in the floor for a moment, Ryura holding Kagome in his arms. Constant flashbacks were racing through her mind.

_He kissed down to the edge of her bra, grinding his hips into hers. She moaned unwillingly, causing him to feel even more inspired to continue. Her body was enjoying his tantalizing kisses, the way his warm body felt against hers. He kissed her stomach, sending a shudder throughout her body. His touch ignited her flesh, and she didn't like it. Her body did, but her mind was screaming 'no' over and over again._

_He kissed her again, and she melted. He released her hands and pulled her shirt completely off. Her hands found their way to his back, snaking up toward his shoulders. She held onto him tightly, her mind crying for her to stop. Her hands were disobeying her as if they had a mind of their own. She felt him slide her pants down even more, his warm hands inciting her thighs. Her flesh tingled at his touch, especially when he brought his hands up to her bra, his lips pulling away from hers, only to come down to the skin right below her collar bones. Her back arched, one leg hooked around his waist._

Kagome jerked away from Ryura. "No! Get away from me!" She leapt up and ran in the direction of what had once been a safe haven -- her room -- where she promptly collapsed onto her bed and let the tears flow. That demon had been the love of her life. That man who had saved her. That man she had threatened to kill. _He_ was the one she had been trying to get back to. _He _was the one who was trying to get to her, to save her.

She had been in love with the wrong person. But she _had_ loved him. And it hurt immensely to find out that she had been deceived for three long years.

"_Kill her." Naraku stated simply._

_Kagome actually laughed. "You've got to be...no wait -- you are insane."_

"_I'm serious." Naraku said tonelessly. "Kill her or else."_

"_Or else what?" Kagome was laughing. She thought it was funny. "You'll sick Ryura on me?"_

"_I can," Naraku said. "But I had other things in mind."_

"_Like what?"_

"_I'll kill Inuyasha."_

_Kagome wasn't laughing anymore. Now, it had grown very, very serious, and incredibly personal. "You're lying."_

"_I am, huh?" Naraku looked offended. "Where do you think the others are? They're certainly not still cleaning the mess up from that cop you shot earlier. They're looking for your precious Inuyasha, with Jakotsu as their guide."_

_She felt her heart stuttering in her chest as her grip on the knife tightened. "I-I don't believe you!"_

_Naraku then pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number. He then put it on speaker phone so Kagome could hear the whole conversation. "Hello?" It was Ryura._

"_Ryura, where are you now?" Naraku asked._

"_We just passed exit fifty five. No sign of Inuyasha or her friends yet." Came Ryura's reply._

"You're a traitor," she hissed at both Ryura and herself. She hadn't wanted to become what Suikotsu was -- a cold blooded, heartless killer. And yet…that's _exactly_ what she had turned into.

_Kagome was shaking now. It wasn't due to fear or rage, but conflicting emotions battling it out inside of her. She felt pity and extreme sadness for this girl. She felt hatred and anger towards Naraku and his little group. She felt frustration with herself, disappointment that ate her to the core. She didn't want to kill, especially if it was a young girl's life she was stealing. But this was her mother, her two best friends, the love of her life. She was doing it to keep them safe. She really didn't want to kill anyone, but it seemed as if she had no alternative choice._

"_Now!" Naraku shouted. Kagome flinched._

'_Maybe I can focus on something else and not have to think about what I'm doing,' she thought as she approached the girl. 'Maybe I can fall into another state of consciousness…'_

_And she did. She fell into this state of dormancy. She was operating on auto-pilot, with her vision straying away, her mind elsewhere. She wasn't coherent to the girl's muffled cries of pain, or the blood that was now covering both herself and the floor. She only kept one thing in mind: make it quick and essentially painless. It was the least she could do…right?_

She closed her eyes and willed it all away. Eventually, after much difficulty, the grotesque images of the dead girl faded from her mind and she relaxed. She lifted a hand up in front of her face and stared at it for a good, long while. "I killed her. With these hands, I've killed innocent people. With these hands, I threatened to kill Inuyasha…"

That's when she broke down and began crying.

---

Inuyasha was stressed. If his hair hadn't already been silver due to his demonic blood, it would have turned a slight shade of gray due to all of the horrible events occurring in his life. Not only had he found Kagome, but he had also discovered that she was now apart of a crime gang who was now on the _Most Wanted_ list for robbing a jewelry store and murdering an innocent man.

On top of that, she was dating a rapist and had threatened to kill him. Well, after the events of the night before, he decided he could overlook all of that since:

A) she had obviously been tricked or forced to do all of that since she had seemed different when he found her in the nightclub and

B) she remembered him and was just as scared as she had been when this whole mess started three years ago.

Well, now she had disappeared again from the hospital she had been staying at. After profuse questioning of the nursing staff, the only thing he could get out of it all was that she had awoken and left of her own volition.

So now he was immensely stressed. Not only was he confused as hell about what was going on, but he had to go and hunt down Kagome.

Again.

He sighed as he leaned back into the seat of his car. That's when his cell phone began ringing. The caller ID confirmed is was someone from the Kyoto police department. He opened his phone and said briskly, "Takahashi here."

"Yo, Inuyasha," Bankotsu said. "Where are you?"

"Osaka."

"I'm being dispatched there to help them with the whole robbery thing," he said.

"Oh, well we could use some help." Inuyasha said, careful to avoid mentioning Bankotsu's cousin in any way. He knew that Bankotsu would get all up tight if he knew that Kagome were involved. "Call me when you get in town, all right? I'll tell you where we can meet."

"Cool. Call you later." Bankotsu said before hanging up.

Inuyasha sighed and closed his phone. Great. Now he had Bankotsu to worry about. He'd go insane if he knew Kagome was in on this. Whatever. God was just giving him a hard time.

And he'd show him. He'd get through it.

Along with Kagome.

* * *

Note- There! How was it? Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I enjoyed writing this chapter. So many emotions. Stay tuned to find out what happens! 


	11. Chapter 11

**Controlling Death**

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

* * *

_Controlling Death_

_Chapter 11_

Kagome rolled over onto her back and blinked a few times to clear her obscured view. She had been crying for what seemed like hours, but what she knew had only been fifteen minutes. She sniffled pitifully and wiped her eyes before sitting up. Her thoughts had been jumbled and mixed, but were now pretty clear. She knew what she had to do:

Get the hell away.

There was something preventing her from doing so, however. And that something was Ryura and Yoshiro.

She loved Ryura. That much was clear. But now she had discovered that there was someone whom she loved more. Someone that she greatly missed and desperately needed. She was too fond of Yoshiro to just let him stay behind and get tortured -- and possibly killed -- by Suikotsu and Jakotsu.

She decided to go run for help. Run back to Inuyasha and get away and leave it all behind. She could bring Yoshiro along, and explain his situation. He would be clean, right? But she wasn't sure about Ryura. Would he be willing to abandon the life he had now and get out? Would he _want_ to try and come off clean?

She sighed and rose to her feet. She only had one plan and she was going to try it.

She walked out of her room into the main part of the warehouse and saw that everyone was gone.

Well, everyone, it appeared, besides Ryura.

She stopped in her tracks and regarded him calmly. When he saw her, he jumped to his feet hastily. "Kagome…are you all right?"

"Fine," she said. "Where are the others?"

"They went to 'have some fun,' as Suikotsu put it," he explained.

"Why didn't you go?" Kagome wanted to know.

"You know I don't go out and kill randomly. And I wanted to wait and see how you were doing."

"Did Yoshiro go with them?" Kagome asked.

"No, he just went walking to get some fresh air." Ryura took a step toward her. She didn't back away. "Kagome, look…I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

"Why did you keep it from me?" She asked. "You let me go on for three years under false assumptions and hopes. Lies. Deceit."

"What did you expect me to do?" He demanded, shaking his head sadly. "With Naraku around? He would've killed me. And…besides…I really like you, Kagome. If I had told you, the feeling wouldn't be mutual."

"The feeling is still mutual." Kagome informed him, her face expressionless. "Just a bit weaker. I mean, after all, I just remembered that the one I really loved before all of you came into my life has come here to find me and save me."

"Save you?" Ryura asked. "Do you really think we're going to hurt you still? You're not our captive, Kagome. You're our leader."

Kagome stood, rooted in place, unable to move or speak.

"What will you do now?" He asked, his shoulders slumping. "Stay here and continue with your life as if nothing happened and be our leader? Or will you go back to him and try to make things like they used to be and leave us here?"

That traitor! He was using her emotions as a weapon against her!

"Ryura -- don't go there," she said tersely.

"Go where?" He asked with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "It's a simple question."

Ignoring him, Kagome said, simply, "Come with me."

Flabbergasted, he just stared at her in a confused manner. "What?"

"You heard me," she said. "Come with me."

"Right," he said sarcastically.

"I'm serious. You _and_ Yoshiro come with me. I will find a way to get you guys out clean. Please."

Kagome felt her heart throbbing against her neck, as if trying to pound its way through and escape. She was so scared at the prospect of losing Ryura, or Yoshiro, by his not accepting. She also didn't want to stay and lose Inuyasha, either.

"No," he finally said. "I'm not going, Kagome. This is my life now. This is where I've been for God knows how long and this is where I'll stay."

Kagome could only gape at him. He wasn't coming? She was going to have to lose him after all?

She soon composed herself, however, and only stared at him with no emotion in her eyes. Apparently the feelings he had were not as strong as he had claimed since he wasn't going to follow her.

His loss, right?

"Fine," she managed to say sternly. "I'm leaving. I'll find Yoshiro and we'll both go." She gulped and held back the tears that threatened to fall. What was _wrong _with her, anyway? She used to be so strong, and independent. Thanks to Ryura, though, those strengths went down the drain.

She began to stalk past him, holding her head high with pride, to show him that her ego or her dignity hadn't taken a massive blow, only to have him tackle her to the hard, cold cement floor.

Kagome landed roughly on the concrete, her head colliding with it, the air rushing from her lungs faster than she could take it back in. She coughed and grabbed her head in pain.  
"No!" Ryura yelled. "You're _not_ leaving!"

Kagome, still dazed from the impact in which her head had with the floor, managed to gasp out, "Yes…I am."

"Kagome…you _can't _leave. You're the leader here. You helped us get rich yesterday." He took in a shaking breath. "Besides…I don't want you to leave. I _need_ you here with me."

Kagome was unsure of what to do or say. Did he _really_ love her or was he just trying to keep her around because it'd be weird without her?

"No," she said at length, her voice hard and almost cold. "I'm leaving."

That's when Ryura did something that not only surprised Kagome greatly, but also informed her that her hunch of how his feelings weren't mutual was, in fact, true. He snaked his hands around her throat and applied pressure. Kagome, feeling her instincts overcome her, began to frantically scratch and claw at his hands, desperately endeavoring to free herself from his chokehold.

"You're _not_ leaving! Do you hear me?" He snarled in her face. "Suikotsu was right! You're stubborn!" He straddled her to make it more difficult for her to escape.

Kagome could only gasp for breath at this point and stare up into his red eyes in disbelief. Those eyes…once so beautiful, now so hideous. They used to have compassion and a certain glow that, she liked to think, was just for her. Now, they held anger, hatred, and frustration.

He loosened his grip slightly and she managed to choke out, "You're just like them…psychotic. You're a killer, too. Go ahead -- kill me."

It had the desired effect -- he hesitated and his arms went slack. That's when she mustered every ounce of her strength she had left and flipped him over her head. She then rose to her feet and began running. He quickly recovered and easily caught her by the back of her shirt and pulled her violently toward him. She whirled around on him and bit his arm. He released her and she took off toward the door once more. This time he seized a handful of her raven hair and jerked her toward him. She let out a cry of pain as she lost her footing and collapsed on the floor once more.

He then kicked her in the ribs and climbed on top of her again, making sure that her arms were pinned beneath her back. Then, using her hair, he pulled her head back to expose her neck. He gave it a hard bite. "I'm going to do something to you that I should've done a long time ago."

Kagome's eyes grew wide and she began to kick and struggle, all in vain. She knew that no one would help her -- no one would even hear her since the whole street was deserted and void of any human life. "No, Ryura! Stop it!"

Her heart was thudding brutally in her chest. She couldn't move her arms. She couldn't kick him -- he wasn't within her reach.

He bit her neck again. "You remember that night, don't you? When I tried my best -- and almost succeeded -- in getting what I wanted? It's time to make me Ryura twenty one."

Kagome felt her body tingling and her heart racing, but she just couldn't do anything. Memories of that night invaded her mind and she felt virtually powerless to prevent it from happening again. The only thing she could do was spit, "Get off me."

He ignored her. She figured as much, so she waited until he leaned in toward her neck once more and bit down on _his_ neck. Hard. He let out a surprised cry of pain, but didn't move. He instead began unbuttoning her white -- now stained with dirt -- button up shirt. That's when she began to panic and summoned up all of her priestess strength.

She began to glow an ominous blue color, which caused Ryura to leap off of her and take a couple of steps away. He was no idiot -- he knew what she was capable of.

She rose to her feet shakily and regarded him with glowing blue eyes, full of hatred and animosity. "I gave you an offer," she hissed. "You could've gotten out…and probably would've been clean. But you didn't take it."

He said nothing, and didn't attempt to stop her as she headed for the door. She paused in the doorway. "I gave the offer to you out of love…but, apparently, the feelings weren't mutual."

That's when she left.

---

Inuyasha sat in the café, sipping his coffee and mulling over all of the events that had transpired within the last forty eight hours, when the chime above the door jingled. He looked up and saw Bankotsu striding toward him.

"Hey," he said when he had comfortably taken the seat in front of Inuyasha.

"Hey," Inuyasha replied, taking another sip of his coffee before placing down onto the table in between them.

"How're things?" Bankotsu asked.

Inuyasha instantly thought of Kagome, and the images of her robbing the store flashed through his mind. He managed to push them aside and say, "Fine. We have a pretty good idea what the perpetrators look like -- now all we have to do is find them."

Bankotsu nodded in consent. "Right."

'How do I get this through to him without sounding harsh or scaring the guy?' Inuyasha wondered as he stared down at his steaming cup of coffee. 'I know that, as soon as I mention the fact that his cousin is in on this, he will fly off the handle and try to go get her. I should just keep it to myself…'

He sighed and glanced out of the window where he caught sight of something so briefly that he thought he hadn't saw it at all. In fact, he had to look twice to make sure he had, in fact, saw it. When he was certain of what he saw, he leapt up, without further thought or hesitation, and raced out the door onto the street.

"Kagome!" He yelled.

The girl on the opposite side looked up. She seemed to be in a daze, but when her chocolate colored eyes fell upon him, her beautiful, encouraging smile broke out across her face and her eyes began glowing with vitality. She then raced across the nearly empty street and didn't stop running until she was in his warm, strong embrace.

"Inuyasha…" she said as she gave him a tight squeeze. "I'm so sorry…"

"It's all right. Everything will be okay now," he told her.

"Kagome!"

The mentioned looked up and saw Bankotsu, who had rushed out of the café, standing on the sidewalk. She tore away from Inuyasha and raced up to him. "Bankotsu!" She squealed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off the ground to spin her around.

"I missed you! I thought I would never see you again," he said, setting her down again.

She looked up into his blue eyes, her smile growing brighter with each passing moment.

Inuyasha cleared his throat in order to grab their attention. "I really hate to interrupt this reunion, but we have to…" He trailed off as he noticed Kagome's exultant expression fade to one of trepidation and anxiety. "Aw, hell," he said with a shrug of his broad shoulders. "Let's go out and buy you some food, clothes, and a hotel room. We can worry with taking you in for questioning later. Right now, we have to catch up."

Inuyasha couldn't explain the feeling he received deep within his chest at seeing that smile break out across her face once more. It was the same smile from that photograph -- the one that kept him going through the hard times -- just so he could see it again in real life.

* * *

Note- There you have it. I apologize profusely for the wait, guys. I haven't had either the time nor the inspiration to write. I worked on it bit by bit and I'm trying to upset for all of you craving fans. Once again, thanks for reading and stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	12. Chapter 12

Controlling Death

Note- You guys have been so awesome! I appreciate all of the positive feedback I'm getting for this story, as well as the others. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Summary- Kagome's found her place amongst the murderers who took her away from her former life. She's taken her place as their 'leader,' and she's nearly as ruthless as the one before her. Inuyasha, who could never find her, became a cop and dedicated his job to finding her. What happens when the two reunite?

Controlling Death

Chapter 12

* * *

Kagome stared at herself in the mirror of the old, humid bathroom of the hotel. She studied her figure for a long moment, letting her brown eyed gaze roam over every inch of her body, inspecting and scrutinizing herself. It had been a long time since she had worn anything even remotely similar to what she was wearing now -- a pale blue sundress with a white shawl pulled around her shoulders.

She brought her slender fingers up to grasp the pendant that hung from her neck. It was a cool, blue stone that was smooth to the touch, hanging on a slim chain of silver.

On her feet were white sandals with slim strings that tied all the way up to her shins.

She had gotten a haircut earlier that day, reducing her hair length from the belt of her pants up to the middle of her back.

She couldn't help but let a broad smile break out across her face. She looked stunning.

Kagome jumped when there was a light knock on the door. "Kagome? You almost ready?"

"Yeah, almost," she said. She took one last look at herself in the mirror and then unlocked the door and stepped out of the sultry bathroom.

Inuyasha scanned her appreciatively before smiling. "You look really nice," he said, taking her hand in his.

"Thank you," she said, following him to the living room where Bankotsu was waiting. When he caught sight of them, he jumped to his feet. "Wow," he said. "It's been so long since…" He trailed off.

"Yeah," she said when he failed to finish his sentence. "I know."

"Well, you ready?" Inuyasha asked.

"Sure am," Kagome replied. "I'm starving."

"Me, too," Bankotsu said.

Inuyasha smirked at him and they grabbed their car keys, locked the door, and left.

-----

"So when will I have to be taken in?" Kagome asked, her face aglow from the candle in the center of the elegantly decorated table.

Both Inuyasha and Bankotsu exchanged worried, wondering glances. "At least within the next twenty-four hours," Inuyasha said. "We don't want to get into trouble by having kept you away from the police for too long."

Kagome nodded in understanding and finished her meal.

"What was it like…in there with them?" Bankotsu asked tentatively.

Kagome abruptly jerked her head in his direction and regarded him with her calm eyes. "At first, it wasn't fun. It wasn't easy, either," she began, the memories flooding back as she spoke, tearing at her like a giant tidal wave. "I was nearly beaten to death," she said the words calmly, coolly, with a sort of detached air about her, as if she had been through worse.

Both Inuyasha and Bankotsu flinched at her choice of words and gaped at her, filling with dangerous, animalistic rage.

"Naraku had taken his place as leader, which upset Suikotsu. He didn't believe in having a leader in their 'crime gang.' So that caused a great deal of tension among them. Not only that, but there had been another girl a few years ago by the name of Anaya." Kagome paused, remembering the nightmare she had had years before. She had been in Anaya's body, had been the one to receive a knife in her back. "Suikotsu was dating her, back before he was a killer. He was still joined with Naraku and the others, doing small jobs such as robbing convenience stores and whatnot."

"And yet, he was _still_ seeing her?" Inuyasha asked, genuinely surprised.

Kagome nodded. "Yeah, I know. It turned out to be a mistake. Naraku discovered his secret and commanded that Anaya be brought there. She was kept in the same room that I was, held hostage with no food or water. But from what I had heard about her, she was a tough woman. She held on for a little over a week."

She took a sip of her iced tea and grimaced a bit. She was not particularly fond of tea.

"Then what?" Bankotsu asked.

"Naraku eventually grew tired of her and ordered Suikotsu to kill her," she closed her eyes remorsefully and remembered her nightmare…Anaya's reality. "So he did. And that's probably what ruined whatever sanity he had left."

"Well what did they do to you?"

Kagome looked down at her empty plate, a distant look on her face. "Well basically they just wanted me as a hostage out of Tokyo. Then they just wanted to keep me around in case the police found any leads and came to ask questions. But the more resilient I became and the more I tried to escape, the more injuries they inflicted upon me. Ryura…" She inhaled sharply before releasing it slowly and dropping her head in her hand, her elbow propped on top of the table. "Let's just say Ryura tried to get something from me, but he didn't succeed. Naraku tried to get me to join the team, Suikotsu and Jakotsu despised me with a passion and were constantly mean, and the other didn't really care."

Her face changed then, as if she remembered something. "Yoshiro was the only one who cared at the time; the only one who kept me alive, kept me going. He taught me everything I knew about them, and warned me about their intentions."

A sob seemed to wrack her body, but the years of training she had gone through had made it an instinct for her to push back the tears.

"At one point, they stabbed me. They beat me around. She threatened to kill you, Inuyasha. You, Miroku, and Sango. In order to prevent them from doing so, I killed someone…she was so young, so beautiful…she didn't deserve it. But I hoped to try to keep you guys safe. So I just pushed all thoughts aside and did what I thought I had to do," she managed a tiny laugh. "It was like I fell into another state of consciousness. I couldn't even really see what I was doing. I just made it quick and virtually painless."

She stopped, her eyes staring into the fabric of the tablecloth, her mind falling into that deep abyss of pain and hatred, the memories of that night filling her vision, playing out before her. Bankotsu and Inuyasha waited patiently as she composed herself again. They were used to it; they did it every day with witnesses to crimes in the interrogation room.

"They came after you, anyway, though, didn't they?" She looked up into Inuyasha's amber eyes, her gaze slightly wavering.

He nodded solemnly. "There was a high speed chase down the highway," he began, noticing that she was listening intently. "They shot at us repeatedly. Sango was hit in the back. And I was hit in my right shoulder." He sighed before continuing. "I was the one driving. I saw exit seventy seven and I knew we were close to getting to you. I hoped to make it and just drive right into the place. But something happened with the tires. The car jerked to the left, and I pulled the steering wheel to the right, but it overcorrected. It flipped twice before landing in the ditch."

Kagome had lifted her slender right hand to her mouth, staring at him with wide, disbelieving eyes. "My mother was in the car with you…all of you were hurt…"

"It's fine. No one was seriously injured, though I lost quite a bit of blood and blacked out. Of course, they kept me longer than the others. They went home. As soon as I got out of the hospital, I went to the warehouse, remembering the directions you had given me. It was empty; you guys had cleared out."

Kagome nodded, remembering. She dropped her hand into her lap. "The night before we left, they brought me into the main room and tied me to a chair. What Naraku did was place his hand on my forehead. He tried to erase my memory. But it didn't work the first time. He said it was because of my "priestess powers," and that I could use them with the proper training. He ended up erasing my memory anyways and we went to Osaka."

"And then when you guys robbed the bank, we had some kind of lead. And then I saw you in that nightclub," Inuyasha said.

Kagome nodded. "I'm so glad that my memory started to come back to me after I saw you that day. I started fighting with Ryura and I went to the bathroom. But I started having so many flashbacks that I guess I got so scared that I blacked out after you found me."

"All that matters now is that you're here with us and you're safe," Bankotsu said after a while of silence.

She nodded in agreement and lifted her glass. Inuyasha lifted his glass and clinked it gently against hers. "I'll toast to that."

Bankotsu did the same. "Me, too."

Kagome took a long drink from her glass, her eyes smiling at Inuyasha over the rim of the cup. She was happy to be back. She just couldn't wait to get home.

-----

The clock read twelve thirty-seven in big, bright red numbers. Kagome couldn't sleep, so she sat upright in her bed, being careful as to not jostle the bed too much and wake Inuyasha, who had taken his place protectively beside her. Bankotsu was in the other bed.

Kagome, under normal circumstances, would have been able to sleep without a problem. But there was something nagging at her. She knew what it was, too. And she knew she needed to fix that problem.

can_ do something, who _will 

She climbed out of bed and slipped into a pair of old jeans and an old baggy t-shirt. She left a note beside of Inuyasha's cell phone and grabbed his Beretta from it's holster. She tied her sneakers on securely and left the hotel room, slipping the key into her pocket, just in case. Then she took in a lungful of fresh, crisp fall, nighttime air and headed in the direction of the warehouse.

-----

"And you let her walk away?"

Ryura turned to look at Jakotsu with a particularly distasteful look on his face. "Yeah. I let her go."

"Why didn't you try to stop her?" Jakotsu demanded.

"I did! We had a fight, and I knew that if I kept trying, she'd kill me," Ryura growled. "Besides, what's it matter to you, anyway?"

"I wanted to kill her myself!" Jakotsu bellowed.

"There's Yoshiro. Take it out on him." Bankotsu said simply, leaning back against the wall he had sat in front of.

Jakotsu considered it a moment before marching into Yoshiro's room. He grabbed the man by the back of his shirt, catching him unaware, and dragging him off his bed and roughly onto the floor. He still kept a firm hold onto the fabric of his shirt and drug him into the main room of the warehouse.

He released him then, and watched as Yoshiro looked round, dazed and baffled.

That's when he imagined it as Kagome and released his rage. He began kicking, punching, slapping, yelling acrimonious things. He even went so far as to remove his gun from its holster and beat him with it.

"That's _enough_!"

Jakotsu jumped, startled, and whirled around.

Kagome marched toward him, hatred and determination in her eyes. "You want to kill me so bad?" She asked, sort of in a playful tone. "Then how about actually trying to kill _me_ and not him?"

As soon as she was within four feet of him, he lunged at her, blinded by his fury and disdain for her. She felt his left shoulder connect with her stomach, which knocked the air from her lungs and caused her to fall back onto the concrete. Her head slammed onto the hard surface, causing stars to dance before her eyes and obscure her vision.

"You made a mistake coming back here," Jakotsu yelled, grabbing a fistful of her hair. "It's going to cost you your life."

"Is that a threat?" Kagome asked, her vision coming back to her, her resilient nature bubbling to the surface once more. "Better hope you can back it up."

Jakotsu pulled his arm back and slugged her across her left jaw. He scowled when there wasn't much of a reaction from her. He punched her again and then she reacted, angrily flipping him over her head onto the concrete. She then did a back flip, landing on him, straddling him. "I hate you," she hissed. "You and Suikotsu ruined my life. I can never get it back; I'll never be what I used to be."

"That's cause you're a killer," he said.

"No I'm not!" She cried, grabbing his right hand as he tried to hit her again. She pinned it beneath her left knee. She did the same with his left hand when he tried to hit her and pinned it beneath her right knee.

"You're just like us," he said. "Murderer."

She grabbed his throat then, squeezing her eyes shut tightly. "Shut up, shut up, shut up!"

She felt him struggling for air, trying desperately to free his hands so he could remove her, toss her across the room, save his life. That's when she opened her eyes and looked into his…and realized he was right. He was literally fighting for his life and she was the one trying to take it from him…she _was _a killer.

That's when she was roughly jerked up off of him and thrown to the floor. She felt the concrete smack against her ribs, felt the blood come up to her mouth. She could tasted it on her lips as it trailed down her chin. She whipped her head around, angry at the intervention, and saw Ryura.

She felt hurt, despite herself. She knew from earlier that day when they'd fought that it was over. But for him to sling her off of someone whom she desperately hated and whom she wanted dead…well, she felt betrayed, too. He was helping someone kill her. He was preventing her from saving someone else. He was against her. Plain and simple.

She rose to her feet shakily, coughing up blood and grasping her midsection. Ryura never glanced away. Instead, his crimson eyes remained connected to hers, never wavering. Jakotsu, after having coughed and gasped in more air, pushed himself to his feet. Kagome barely noticed him. She was too busy staring at Bankotsu.

That was her mistake; Jakotsu dived at her once more, tackling her and they went stumbling against the wall behind her. She grunted from the impact and began throwing blows, not even caring to aim. He gave as good as he got, mostly to her upper body. She went for his face, only to have him easily evade her shot, and then connect a punch to her ribs on her left side. She cried out in pain and doubled over. That's when he grabbed a handful of her hair -- bloody from where her head spit open from her collision with the floor -- and brought his knee up to meet her face. When he released her hair she simply fell limp and collapsed onto the floor.

"What's wrong, Kagome?" She heard him taunting her, his tone sounding smug, as if he'd just won the battle. She cursed him in the back of her mind:

"I thought you were oh so tough and oh so scary!" He said in a mocking tone. "But you've changed ever since you got your memory back. You're weak! You're _nothing_ like that Kagome who helped us murder people and steal those diamonds!"

Kagome, who was fully conscious despite the pain in her head, knew he was right. She knew that she had lost all sensibility and had rushed into trying to save Yoshiro blindly, without bothering to try and remember her training. She hadn't thought of a plan other than to fight, but even then she couldn't think about her training, her past mistakes, the lessons she had learned.

Jakotsu came up to her with a gun aimed at her head. "And now you're going to die."

She watched his finger on the trigger squeeze ever so slowly and she timed herself. A shot echoed through the warehouse, but she had leapt out of the way and then leapt at Jakotsu, flinging the gun far across the room. She threw punches that connected with his face and chest. Then she noticed Ryura coming at her. She did a back flip and landed away from him, facing them both in an attack stance. She was on the ready and waiting for them.

She noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye and looked over as Yoshiro moved and pulled himself into a sitting position. That was her second mistake. Both Ryura and Jakotsu jumped her, Jakotsu going to her legs while Ryura grabbed her upper arms.

All three of them fell to the ground and Kagome instantly began wriggling to attempt to vainly free herself. Ryura was in her face now. "You should've stayed, Kagome," he said, forcefully stealing a kiss from her. Then, to Jakotsu, he said, "Wait, let me have my way with her."

Jakotsu merely rolled his eyes.

Kagome stared at him in disbelief. He was still going to do it. He was still willing to do her harm, to take something from her that he would've never stolen had she never regained her memory. She wanted to belief that, deep down, he wouldn't. But when he ripped her shirt, almost completely off, that changed her mind and she managed to head but him.

He fell backwards, away from her. That's when Jakotsu took his place and gave her a hard punch to her right jaw. "Dear Kagome, when you're gone, we'll miss you." He smirked and pulled a knife from a sheath at his side.

She was going to stop him from stabbing her but Ryura recovered and held both of her hands in place. Jakotsu plunged the knife into her stomach, apparently wanting to drag out her death as long as he could. If he had wanted her dead immediately, he would've went for her heart.

She cried out in pain as blood gushed from her new wound, soaking through her once gray shirt, making it a dark crimson. She felt the hot, oozing liquid pool beneath her as she was pinned down to the floor. Jakotsu raised the hunting knife -- now stained with red -- above his head, prepared to deliver another fatal blow.

However, Yoshiro managed to tackle Ryura, freeing Kagome's hands. She managed to reach up and grab Jakotsu's hand as it came down, and hold the knife at bay. But she was weak and he was determined to end her life. She was shaking from the effort to hold him off and the knife was inching closer and closer.

"Just resign yourself to death," he said.

She dropped her right hand to her side, holding his hand with her left. "Never," she growled. She grabbed the Beretta and aimed at his head. "Jakotsu…even though you're a murderer and want me dead…you're still my cousin…and I love you."

A single shot echoed through the warehouse for a second time and Jakotsu's lifeless body slumped beside of her. Ryura, who had simply pushed Yoshiro aside, stared in disbelief at the dead body adjacent to Kagome's badly injured form.

It grew insanely quiet in the room. No one moved. No one spoke. Not until Suikotsu rushed in, apparently having heard a gunshot from outside, wherever he had been. When he caught sight of Kagome, a gun in her hand, he gaped at her. She looked half dead. But then he took sight of his brother…

He instantly rushed forward and took his dead brother into his strong arms, holding him. "You bitch!" He screamed. "You fucking bitch! You killed him!"

Kagome looked at him. "No shit…" she tried to be sarcastic, but she was in a bad way and she knew she was probably going to die from her injuries, if not from Suikotsu or Ryura.

However, if either of them had intentions of finishing the job Jakotsu had started, they never got the opportunity to. Inuyasha and Bankotsu showed up, guns drawn, and aimed them at the two felons. They both gave in pretty quickly, and they were cuffed and sat down next to one another. Then backup was called.

Inuyasha raced over to Kagome. "Are you okay?" He demanded.

She stared at him. "Fine."

"You are _not_ fine," he argued, looking over her at all the blood and injuries. "What were you thinking?!" He demanded. "You could've gotten yourself killed!"

"Look…just help me clean the blood up. Help me sit up," she instructed him. He pulled a rag from his pocket and dabbed at all the blood, cleaning her up substantially. Then he aided her in sitting up. Kagome knew she'd have to be admitted into a hospital. But she also knew that there was, technically, no need. Her priestess powers would aid her in healing. By tomorrow afternoon she'd be healthy as a horse and ready to leave.

"I came to save him…I _had_ to. They were going to kill him. And I couldn't let that happen. He kept _me_ alive. So I had to keep _him_ alive." She explained to Inuyasha.

"We'll discuss it later. And you'll also have to be questioned by the police tomorrow, remember?" He said.

She merely nodded. The ambulance and other police officers showed up. They loaded both Kagome and Yoshiro into the ambulance while Jakotsu was carried away in a body bag. On the way to the hospital, she let herself doze off. She'd need plenty of sleep for the next few days.

* * *

The air coming in through the open windows felt nice and cool against her warm skin. Her hair whipped around her head and her bare feet were propped up on the dashboard of Inuyasha's new Dodge Ram. She turned and smiled at him as he drove down the highway. He caught her eye and mirrored her expression before dutifully turning back to the road. 

Kagome was fully healed after her fight with Jakotsu and Ryura, all thanks to her priestess powers. A little bit of credit had to be given to the Emergency Medical Team of Osaka, too. Without them, the wounds might not have ever gotten bandaged.

Yoshiro healed up nicely, too. Both he and Kagome had been released from the hospital only a couple days apart, with Kagome released first due to her powers. He didn't really like having to meet Inuyasha, due to how he felt about Kagome, but he promised her that he'd be fine with it.

Jakotsu had had a small funeral, and all of them attended. Inuyasha, Bankotsu, Suikotsu, Ryura, Yoshiro. Of course, police were there monitoring the whole event, which only lasted about twenty minutes. Afterward, Suikotsu and Ryura were taken back to jail.

Kagome was acquitted of all of the crime sprees due to the fact that she had been bewitched. And she had also been found not guilty of Jakotsu's murder by way of self defense. Yoshiro was found not guilty due to the fact that he had tried his best to help Kagome and was threatened with his life if he attempted to help her escape.

The diamonds had been replaced, and Jura and Kyora were also found and arrested. All four of them -- Suikotsu, Ryura, Jura, and Kyora -- were charged with multiple murders as well as kidnapping charges. No one asked of Naraku, and no one told.

After all of the fuss, Kagome and Inuyasha were finally allowed to leave Osaka and go back home to Tokyo. Kagome gave Bankotsu a tearful goodbye at the airport, where he was boarding a plan back to Kyoto.

"Do worry, kid," he'd said to her, giving her a tight, loving embrace. "I'll come by and visit."

Now, Inuyasha and Kagome were driving down the highway, playing silly games such as pointing out which cars had a busted headlight. They caught up by talking about Inuyasha's heated search for her and what Kagome did all day with them.

"By the way, what happened to Naraku?" He asked, turning onto a street going through a small, familiar neighborhood.

"I killed him…" she said quietly. "He made a move on me. And I threatened him with the gun. He had had enough so he went to kill Ryura, who, at the time, was watching out for me against Suikotsu, Jakotsu, and Naraku. But when he shot Ryura, and then tried to kill Yoshiro…I just shot him…"

He nodded. He wasn't going to reprimand her for her past. He knew that she had lived in a tough world for three years and that it was already hard enough to cope with any of the things she did.

They stopped and pulled into a driveway where a woman with short, black hair sat on the porch. When their eyes met, they smiled happily. Kagome nearly dived from the car. The woman almost broke her neck falling down the porch.

"Mom!"

"Kagome!"

They embraced tightly. So tightly that it looked as if they were trying to strangle one another. But they weren't. They were both ecstatic about seeing one another after three years. "I'm home, mom. I'm here and I'm never leaving."

It was the truth. After all, how _could_ she leave, other than to move on and get married with a family of her own? There was no one here to take her to another city. No one to stalk her, to kidnap her.

All was perfect. And it would remain that way.

* * *

Note- Ahh! There you have it! The third story is finished! You know what that means! The fourth and final story should be coming up. I can't wait! I hope you enjoyed it thus far and I hope you keep reading. Thanks so much for being with me and supporting me. 

-Jess


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